I Promise You
by NALEYAAF23
Summary: Brooke loves her life in Boston. When a family tragedy happens, she moves home to take care of her little twin half-sisters. However, there is one catch. Her mother has requested that she marries Lucas, her childhood friend. With two inexperienced guardians and different parenting styles, will they be able to stick together to raise them and perhaps find love along the way?
1. Chapter One

**A/N**: Since BTHE is close to being completed, I decided to post the first chapter of this story. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own OTH

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**Chapter One**

Brooke Davis woke up and looked at her alarm clock. She was relieved to see that she had plenty of time to get ready for work. Of course, she wasn't surprised. She always seemed to wake up on time. She had never been late to work and she didn't plan on starting now.

She looked over her shoulder for a moment and saw that her fiancé was still sleeping. She quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. As she washed her hands, she could smell the scent of scrambled eggs. She smiled to herself, knowing that Julian was up and making breakfast.

She quickly finished up and hurried out to the kitchen. She and Julian exchanged smiles as she went over to him. "You didn't have to make me breakfast. I could have made it myself," she told him.

"Well, I thought it would be a nice gesture since I won't see you this weekend," Julian replied. "By tomorrow morning, you'll be in Tree Hill while I'll be stuck here in Boston."

"You could always come with me," Brooke suggested. "That way, you won't be so lonely."

Julian gave her a look. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Especially since your mother hates me?"

Brooke sighed. They had this conversation once too many times over the past year. "She doesn't hate you," she protested. "She just doesn't want to lose me. After all, it was just me and her for years before Andy came along."

"Didn't she already do that when you moved here?" Julian asked her. "After all, Boston is pretty far away from Tree Hill."

Brooke knew that he had a point. "Yeah, but being engaged is different from being married." There was silence before she spoke again. "And I don't think she wants me to make the same mistake that she did."

"Well, we're different from your parents. We're not in high school," he pointed out. "And we're not having a baby." He then looked at his fiancée hard. "We're not, are we?" he asked her. Brooke didn't have a chance to answer as Julian continued. "I mean I wouldn't mind if we are. I would just rather get married before we start thinking about starting a family."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not pregnant," Brooke replied as Julian handed her her plate full of scrambled eggs. She then gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking over to the kitchen table and sitting down. She started eating as she continued the conversation. "I haven't been back to Tree Hill since the twins' christening. And that was five months ago. I can't wait to see them again." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "That reminds me. I have to get their birthday presents before I leave. After all, I can't go to their birthday party without presents. My mother would kill me."

"Have you even packed yet?" Julian asked her as he joined her at the table with his own plate of food. "You leave tomorrow morning."

"I'll do it this evening when I get home from work," Brooke replied. "I'll have to check with Millie to make sure that my lunch hour is clear to shop." She then thought for a moment. "I just wish I knew what to buy one-year-olds."

"Maybe you should call your friend Haley," Julian suggested. "Isn't her daughter Megan around the same age as your sisters?" Brooke nodded. "So maybe you could get some ideas from her."

Brooke smiled at him. "That's a great idea. I don't know why I didn't think of it before." She then looked at the time again. "I should get going." She quickly ate up the rest of her breakfast before going to finish getting ready for work. She then said good-bye to Julian before she dashed out of the door.

When she got to her office building, she greeted her employees at the Welcome Desk before heading to the elevator. She pressed the number for her floor and waited impatiently until she arrived. She stepped out of the elevator and walked through the hall until she saw her assistant's desk. She exchanged smiles with Millie as she approached her.

"Good morning, Millie. Are there any messages for me?" she asked her. She didn't think that there would be too many. Most of her clients knew that she was going to be out of town that weekend.

"There was one. And it was from your mother. I told her that you would call her back," Millie replied cheerfully.

"Thank you," Brooke told her before she headed into her office. She then closed the door before she pulled out her cell-phone from her purse and dialed her mother's cell-phone number. She waited patiently until she heard someone pick up the phone. "Good morning, Mom."

Brooke could hear the happiness in her mother's voice as she spoke. _"Good morning, my darling daughter. I apologize for calling so early, but I have a million things to do before the weekend and calling you was on top of my list," _she told her. _"I was just going over the guest list for the twins' birthday party and want to confirm that you are still coming this weekend. I would hate for you to cancel at the last minute."_

"You don't have to worry. I'll be there," Brooke assured her. "But please don't go overboard with the party. After all, they are only going to be one."

"_Honey, this is their first birthday. I want it to be special," _Victoria replied. She then quickly changed the subject. _"Anyway, you don't have to worry about trying to get a cab over here. Someone has already offered to come and pick you up tomorrow morning."_ Brooke wasn't surprised. Her mother had always arranged for someone to pick her up from the airport. _"Lucas volunteered. Do you have any objection?"_

Brooke laughed. "No, of course not. I'm always happy to see him." She let out a happy sigh. "I can't wait to see him and everyone else including my adorable sisters. How are they anyway?" she asked anxiously.

"_They are growing every day. I can barely keep them in their clothes for a few weeks before they outgrow them," _Victoria replied. _"I can't believe that they are going to be one already. It seems like yesterday that they were born."_

Brooke was about to respond when she heard a knock at the door. "Mom, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." They then exchanged good-byes before Brooke hung up and turned her attention to Millie.

After a few long hours of work, she finally was able to take her lunch hour. She was relieved to find out that she had nothing going on. So she was able to shop for as long as she wanted. However, she still didn't know what to get Charlotte and Cassidy. She knew that it was time to call an expert.

She felt guilty that she didn't really know her half-sisters. She wished that she did. Especially since they were identical twins. That made it even harder to tell them apart. It also didn't help that her mother always put Charlotte and Cassidy in matching outfits all the time. It may be cute now, but Brooke wished her mother realize that they are two different people.

She anxiously waited until she heard a familiar voice. However, she was disappointed to hear the voice mail. She sighed, knowing that Haley was probably busy with Megan. She hung up before she could leave a message.

She decided to try and pick out presents without anyone's help. She knew that Charlotte and Cassidy would like anything she would give them. Especially since they were still young. Yet, she wanted to make sure that the presents were different. After all, they were two different people.

By the time her lunch hour was up, she still couldn't find anything worth buying for her sisters. She was frustrated, and not to mention exhausted. She wanted to search some more but knew that she had to get back to work.

After a long day, she arrived back home and immediately collapsed on the couch. She relaxed for a little bit before she went to her bedroom to pack. As she packed, she started to realize that she was going back to her hometown of Tree Hill, North Carolina.

She was excited to see her family and friends again. She never imagined that she would have moved so far away from them. But she had fallen in love with Julian and was willing to sacrifice her life to move closer to him. She hated to admit it, but she missed them a lot. She really wished that she could visit them more often, but her work as a wedding planner kept her busy.

She snapped out of her daydream as she heard footsteps. She turned around to see Julian. "So how did the search go?" he asked her.

Brooke groaned frustrated. "Terrible. I had no idea what to buy them because I don't know what they would like."

Julian tried to cheer her up. "It's ok. I'm sure you'll find something for them before you leave."

"I leave tomorrow morning, remember?" Brooke reminded him. "There is no way that I can go on a gift hunt when I have to pack."

"Isn't the birthday party Saturday afternoon?" Julian asked her. Brooke nodded. "Then you still have time to search. You'll just have to search in Tree Hill."

Brooke gave him a smile. "Julian Baker, you are a genius."

The next morning, Julian drove Brooke to the airport. After a short good-bye, Brooke headed into the airport. Time passed too quickly and she was soon settling herself in a window seat. She was relieved to see that there weren't many other passengers on the plane. She would hate if it was a full flight. Since it was going to be a short plane ride, she decided to just read her book that she brought.

A short time later, she heard the pilot say that they were coming into Tree Hill. She waited anxiously until they finally landed and she was able to get out of her seat. Even though she didn't have a carry-on bag, the other passengers did and took their sweet time getting out of the aisle. Finally, she was able to take her turn.

It seemed like years before Brooke reached the terminal and started looking around for Lucas. The place was full of people waiting for passengers so it was hard to locate him. Her mind was set at ease when she finally spotted a smiling Lucas.

She smiled in return as she approached him and embraced him a tight hug. "Hey, how are you?" he asked once they finally pulled away. "How's Julian?"

"We're both doing well. What about you and Lindsey?" Brooke asked as they headed towards the baggage claim. "Is she jealous that you are the one who is picking me up?" she teased.

Lucas laughed. "No, she knows that you're already taken. So you can't flirt with me," he teased back.

"I'm not married yet," Brooke reminded him. "And I might never be if my mother doesn't give us her blessing." Lucas was about to make a suggestion when she immediately stopped him. "And don't even think about suggesting to marry without her blessing. Julian has already threw that idea out to me million of times. And my answer is and always will be 'no'. I want my mother's blessing. And I'm going to try and get it this weekend if it's the last thing I do."

"Well, I wish you luck with that since she's very busy planning your sisters' party," Lucas replied with a slight laugh.

Brooke suddenly remembered something important. "Do you mind if we stop at the mall before we head to my mother's house? I still haven't gotten anything for Cassidy and Charlotte. And perhaps stop by the café to get something to eat? I'm dying to have some of your mom's food again."

Lucas nodded. "Sure. I'm starving myself. I didn't have a chance to eat anything either before I had to pick you up. Why don't we stop by the café first before heading to the mall?" he suggested.

Brooke gave him a wide smile. "I love that idea," she replied.

However, they didn't have a chance to go to the café. Right after they got Brooke's suitcase, Lucas got a text from Lindsey telling him that they needed his help at Victoria's house. So Lucas and Brooke headed over there instead.

"How crazy is she over the birthday party?" Brooke asked Lucas as she sat in the passenger's seat of Lucas's car.

Lucas tried to hold his laughter in as he spoke. "Do you remember your graduation party?" he asked her.

Brooke groaned. "How can I forget? All I wanted was a simple party with my friends and she ended up inviting our entire graduating class. I know she wants everything big, but I'm not like that. The only time I do big is if my clients want it. After all, it's their big day, not mine. I can't imagine what it will be like when I have my wedding. She will probably insist on the big church wedding and white doves."

Lucas turned to her confused. "White doves?"

Brooke gave him a look. "You know what I mean. She will want to go big and I don't want to."

"Well, you won't get to go through any of it if you don't convince your mom to give you her blessing," Lucas pointed out. Brooke knew that Lucas's words were true and hoped that she would get the all important blessing from her mother.


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: **Thankyou for the reviews, favorites and story alerts. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Cassidy and Charlotte Hargrove

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**Chapter Two**

As Lucas drove them around town, Brooke smiled at the familiar sights. When they arrived at her old house, she wasn't surprised to see that there was more than one car parked in front of it. She knew that her mother would have as many friends as she could to help her out with the party plans.

Lucas parked his car behind his parents' car before they climbed out of the vehicle. She patiently waited for him while he got her suitcase out of the trunk. They then walked up to the front door and rang the bell. It was only a few moments before the door opened. To Brooke's surprise, it was a person she didn't know. The woman gave them a friendly smile. "You must be Brooke and Lucas. I'm Carrie, Cassidy's and Charlotte's nanny. Come on in." Brooke and Lucas thanked her before they walked into the front hall of the house. "Your mother and her friends are working in the dining room."

Brooke was surprised. "Wow, I didn't realize that my mother and Andy needed help with the twins," she said. "In fact, my mother could barely go anywhere without them."

"And that's exactly why I wanted to hire one," a familiar voice said as he came into the front hall. "I thought your mother deserved a break every now and then from taking care of them all of the time." Andy gave Brooke a wide smile as he embraced her in a tight hug. "It's great to see you again, Brooke. How was your flight?"

Brooke smiled in return. "I was glad that it was short. I couldn't wait to see everybody again," she replied as Andy took the suitcase from Lucas and they headed up the stairs. "So how is the party planning going?" she asked. Andy didn't answer at first. "Mom is going overboard, isn't she?"

Andy sighed. "Yeah, but she doesn't believe me," he replied. "Maybe you can talk to her."

Brooke tried not to laugh. "You know my mother, Andy. Once she sets out to do something, she doesn't change her mind about it."

"It must be a family trait," Lucas teased her as they went down the hall to her bedroom. "You do the same thing."

Brooke just smiled at him. "Well, you know what they say. Like mother, like daughter," she replied as they reached her bedroom. She opened the door and walked into the room. She was happy to see that her room was exactly the way it was when she had left it.

Andy brought her suitcase into the room. "We'll let you get settled in before you see everybody else."

Brooke gave him a look. "Are you crazy? I've been waiting for days to see the whole gang. I don't think I can wait any longer. I'll do unpacking later."

"Alright, but I'm warning you that your mother is keeping everyone busy," Andy said. "But I'm sure that they will want an excuse for a small break." Brooke nodded in agreement as she followed Andy out of the room.

They went back down the stairs and through the house until they reached the kitchen. Her mother noticed her first. She gave her daughter a wide smile as she walked over to her and embraced her in a tight hug. "Brooke, there you are. I was hoping that you had gotten Lindsey's message before it was too late."

Lucas nodded. "Where is she anyway?" he asked her as he noticed that she wasn't among the adults. Neither was Haley. "And where's Haley?" he asked as Brooke went around greeting Karen, Deb and Lydia.

"She's in the playroom, watching Megan and the twins. And I don't know where Lindsey went off to. I'm sure she's around somewhere," Karen told her son. "And I believe your dad, uncle and cousin are outside doing yard work."

Lucas groaned. "Don't tell me that you want me to join them." Everyone knew that he hated yard work and always tried his best to get out of doing it.

Victoria tried not to smile. "No, getting Brooke was your only job for me today. But you should be prepared to come by tomorrow morning. I will have a lot for you to do then."

Lucas nodded obediently. "I'll be here right after breakfast."

"You might as well have an early breakfast then. Because you need to be here by seven o'clock on the dot," Victoria told him. "There's a lot to do and I want to get started as soon as possible."

Lucas was surprised, but he knew that there was no arguing with her. "I'll be here. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see if I can find Lindsey."

"And I'm going to say 'hi' to Haley, my goddaughter and my sisters," Brooke added as she followed Lucas out of the dining room. "Will you be able to get up that early?" she teased him.

Lucas gave her a look. "Very funny."

She just gave him a smile as she headed to the playroom. She gasped at the sight before her. The playroom was just filled with all sorts of toys. Brooke knew that her mother spoiled her sisters rotten. She just didn't think it was this bad. She stood in the doorway and watched as Haley tried to play with both Megan and her sisters. It was hard to tell who was who since they were all little brunettes, but Megan was the only one who wasn't wearing a matching outfit.

She could tell that her best friend was getting frustrated. "Do you need help there, Hales?" Brooke asked, making Haley jump.

She then gave her best friend a wide smile as she got up from the floor. She went over and embraced her best friend in a tight hug. "How are you doing?" she asked anxiously.

Brooke gave her a smile in return. "Julian and I are just fine," she replied.

"I'm sorry I never called you back, but your mother has kept all of us busy for the last couple of weeks. I haven't even gotten a chance to look for birthday gifts for Cassidy and Charlotte yet."

"Thank you for reminding me. I didn't have a chance to look either. Why don't we go right now?" Brooke suggested. "I'm sure someone is willing to watch these three while we go out shopping."

Haley nodded. "Let me just ask Victoria for the gift list before we go," she replied. Brooke gave her a confused look. "Your mother made a list of what she wanted Cassidy and Charlotte to have this year."

"Please tell me that it doesn't consist of more toys," Brooke groaned. "I think they have enough toys to last them a lifetime."

Haley made a face. "Unfortunately, it does. But the good news is that there are also clothes and books on the list as well."

Brooke was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, my mother did mention that she can't keep up with their clothes."

Haley nodded understandingly. "I know how she feels. Megan is the same way. It's hard to keep up with a growing toddler," she said as she felt a tug on her pant leg. "Speaking of Megan, I should probably reintroduce you two." She picked up her daughter and showed her to Brooke. "Brooke, this is Megan."

Brooke was amazed to see how much Megan had grown in the last five months. "Wow, she's looking more and more like a Scott every time I see her," she said. Haley gave her a look and Brooke quickly corrected herself. "She has her father's looks, but she will probably have your smarts."

Haley gave her a smile. "I hope so. I would hate for her to struggle in school like her father did."

"She'll do great. I know it," Brooke assured her before she turned to Charlotte and Cassidy. She then groaned as she looked from one twin to another. "I really wish that my mother wouldn't put them in matching outfits."

"Why would you want to do that? So you could tell them apart?" she teased her. Brooke gave her a look. "I think they look adorable. But I know what you mean. Maybe you should buy them the same outfit with two different colors."

Brooke nodded in agreement. "Let's see if we can find someone to watch these adorable toddlers."

"I know a grandmother or two who are dying to take a break," Haley replied.

A short time later, Haley and Brooke were shopping at a baby clothing store. Brooke couldn't help but fall in love with each and every outfit that she came across. However, she had to remind herself that she had to make sure of the size. "I can't wait until Julian and I have kids. Of course, we can't get married until I get my mother's blessing. And I'm determined to get that this weekend."

Haley gave her a look. "You need more than your mother's blessing."

Brooke looked at her confused. "What do you mean? Andy already gave me his permission and blessing to marry Julian. I just need to get my mother's blessing."

"Have you ever thought of asking Dan, Deb, Keith, Karen or my parents for their blessings?" Haley asked her. "After all, they've helped raise you too. You're like a daughter to them."

Brooke knew that she was right. Both Scotts and Haley's parents had helped her mother raise her. She, Haley, Lucas and Nathan had all grown up together. They were family. It was only right for her to get their blessings as well. "But everyone is fine with Julian. They've met him and like him."

"There's a big difference between liking him and loving him. They don't like Lindsey," Haley said. "Especially your mom. She thinks that she's all wrong for Lucas. Don't tell him, but she's thrilled that they have been arguing a lot. She's hoping that they will break up soon."

"What about you?" Brooke asked her. She couldn't really judge her since she had only met her a couple of times. "What do you think of her?"

"She doesn't seem to fit well in our group like Peyton does," Haley replied with a slight frown.

"Speaking of her, how come she wasn't helping out at the house?" Brooke asked her. "Did she have a date with Jake or something?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah, she already had plans. But she promised Victoria that Jenny will be here for the party tomorrow."

Brooke let out a sigh. "I wish my mom would stop obsessing with the birthday party. I know that turning one is a big accomplishment, but it's too much for two little girls who aren't even going to remember the party."

Haley nodded understandingly. "I'm just glad that I talked her out of hiring a clown. They are way too young for clowns. Not to mention that they are just plain creepy," she said before she let out a shiver. "I hate clowns."

"I don't blame you," Brooke replied before she grabbed a few outfits from the racks. "I just hope my mom doesn't mind that they are in different colors."

"Well, there is one way to find out," Haley pointed out.

Once they were done shopping, they had lunch together before they decided to head back to the house. By then, Victoria had sent everyone home. Even Nathan had gone home. He had caught a ride with Lucas and Lindsey. Brooke was glad that there weren't any more guests since she was exhausted. After saying good-bye to Haley, she immediately went upstairs and took a long nap.

When she finally woke up, she saw that it was nearly dinnertime. The smell of dinner made her even hungrier. She went downstairs to find her mother and stepfather sitting down at the dining room table, eating their dinner.

"Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a nice nap?" Victoria asked her. Brooke nodded as she walked over and joined them at the table. "We've already fed your sisters. I'm sorry that we didn't wait for you, but we didn't know how long you would be."

"It's ok. I guess I was more tired than I thought," Brooke replied as the butler brought over her meal and put it in front of her. She thanked him before she turned back to Victoria and Andy. She ate her dinner while they caught up with each other. The only thing that they didn't talk about was Victoria's blessing for her to marry Julian. She decided to wait until after the party to talk to her mother about that.

After dinner and dessert, they moved to the living room and continued their conversation there. They continued talking until they heard a cry from the baby monitor. "I'll go check on them. I haven't been with them all day," Victoria said as she got up from the couch. "I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you," Brooke offered as she got up from the couch. She followed her mother to the nursery, which was decorated in pink and white. Her mother went over to one of the cribs and picked up one of the twins. "Which one is that?" she asked.

"This is Charlotte," Victoria replied. "And Cassidy is in the other crib."

"How can you tell them apart?" Brooke asked her as Cassidy started to fuss. She tried to calm her down before she picked her up. She tried to soothe her as Victoria rocked Charlotte in one of the rocking chairs.

"A mother knows her children's cries," Victoria replied as Cassidy began to settle down. She looked at her daughter impressed. "Wow, I've never seen anybody calm Cassidy down that fast." Brooke smiled proudly as she gently sat in the other rocking chair, which was right next to the first chair. Victoria then turned to her oldest daughter. "Do you know that I tell them your favorite bedtime story every night?"

Brooke gave her a look. "You do not," she exclaimed surprised. Victoria nodded her head. "But they're just babies. They don't understand the story."

"I told it to you every night when you were a baby," Victoria reminded her. "They may not understand the story now, but they will soon. And then they can add to it just like you did." Brooke knew that she was right and let her mother begin the story. "A long time ago in Philadelphia, there was a sixteen-year-old girl named Victoria, who had everything she ever wanted. One summer, she made a mistake with a guy named Richard Davis. A few months later, she ended up pregnant. When their parents found out, they insisted that the two of them get married. Even though she didn't want to, she married Richard. They soon had a little girl and named her Brooke Penelope Davis. But as Victoria predicted, the marriage was an unhappy one. So she finally asked him for a divorce and that upset her parents. They were so ashamed of her that they disowned, disinherited and kicked her out of the house. They didn't want anything to do with her or their granddaughter."

"Victoria decided to start over in a new town. So she moved to Tree Hill, North Carolina. She made some new friends and they helped her raise Brooke alongside their own children. It was just the two of them for awhile until she met Andy Hargrove. They fell in love and soon got married. They wanted a family, but it was hard for them. So a doctor named Dr. Copeland helped them out. After a few months of trying, they got their miracle just in time for Christmas. Then they discovered that it was going to be two miracles and were even more thrilled. They named them Cassidy Faith Hargrove and Charlotte Hope Hargrove. And they lived happily ever after."

"I love that story," Brooke whispered. Cassidy and Charlotte had fallen back asleep. "I hope that I can tell it to my children one day."

"I'm sure you will," Victoria whispered back as they gently put the twins back in their cribs. "But don't forget to add your own story in there, not just mine."

"I will," Brooke promised her as they quietly left the nursery.


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. To avoid any confusion, Lucas and Nathan are cousins in this story. Keith and Dan are brothers. Keith and Karen are Lucas's parents. Dan and Deb are Nathan's parents.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Cassidy and Charlotte Hargrove

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**Chapter Three**

The next morning, Brooke woke up to the smell of scrambled eggs. She pushed back the covers and climbed out of her bed. She put her robe on before she walked out of her bedroom and into the hall. She then followed the aroma down to the kitchen, where Andy was making breakfast. He and Brooke exchanged smiles as she went to the cupboard and pulled out a cup. "It looks like some things haven't changed around here. You're still cooking meals."

Andy laughed. "Yeah, but it's not very often that I get to cook now. We're always so busy that I don't have time to make our meals."

Brooke frowned. "But I thought that was the whole point as to why you hired Carrie? So you could have more time to do things like this," she said as she poured coffee into her cup. Before her stepfather could answer, Brooke had an idea. "You know what you two need? You guys need a night out on the town. After the birthday party is over, why don't you and Mom go out to dinner? You can give Carrie the night off and I'll watch Charlotte and Cassidy."

Andy gave her another smile. "I think that's a great idea. You would just have to run it past your mother. And you know how she is with your sisters. But I have a feeling that she will probably be more accepting to this idea than your first one."

Brooke raised her eyebrows in surprise at his words. "Are you talking about the blessing that I want from my mother to marry my fiancé?" she asked as she sipped her coffee.

Andy nodded. "That's the one."

Brooke sighed. "I don't understand why she is being so stubborn about me marrying Julian."

"Because you can do so much better than him," Victoria replied as she came into the kitchen. She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, my darling. Did you sleep well last night?"

Brooke gave her a look. "Don't change the subject. How can you even say that when you don't even know him?"

"I don't have time to discuss it right now. I have too much to do before the party," Victoria said before she looked at her watch. "Our helpers should be arriving any minute now." She smiled proudly as she heard the doorbell ring. "Right on time. I love it when people are punctual." She then dashed off to answer the door.

Brooke turned back to Andy and gave him a pleading look. He knew what she was thinking. She was soon disappointed as he said, "Sorry, but I'm staying out of this one. This is between you and your mother."

"But you're my stepfather," she protested. "Aren't you supposed to side with your stepdaughter?"

Andy couldn't help but laugh. "You are using that old excuse now?"

"It has always worked before," she pointed out. "I don't see why I couldn't use it again."

Besides, I'll say anything if it helps me to convince you to talk to Mom," she said as Keith and Karen came into the room. They exchanged greetings as Nathan followed his aunt and uncle into the room. "Where's Haley?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"According to Victoria, she is allowed to sleep late," Nathan replied as he looked at the food hungrily. "Do you mind if I have some of that?" he asked hopefully.

Andy smiled as he handed him a plate. "Help yourself. I can always make more," he told him. Nathan gave him a grateful smile as he started putting the food on his plate. "You two can dig in too," he offered to Keith and Karen.

Brooke didn't hear the answer as she heard her mother calling her. She walked back into the front hall where her mother was with Dan and Deb. "Brooke, would you be a dear and stop by Lucas's house to see what is keeping him?" her mother asked. "Karen called his cell-phone, but he's not answering."

Brooke was about to point out that it was just barely after seven o'clock, but knew that there was no point. Her mother was a stickler for rules and hated when anything on her schedule was off. She wished that her mother could just go with the flow, but that wasn't her style. And Brooke had accepted that about her over the years.

Brooke nodded in agreement. "Sure. Let me just take a quick shower and change my clothes. Are the car keys still in the same place?" she asked. Victoria nodded as the doorbell rang again. Brooke was disappointed when she saw that it was Haley's parents. They quickly greeted her before she headed back up the stairs. "I'll be right back then."

It wasn't long before Brooke arrived in front of Lucas's house. She wasn't surprised when she saw that Lucas's car was still in the driveway. He always did have trouble getting up early. The only time that he would willingly get up early was to play basketball at the River Court before school. Yet, she was surprised that Lindsey didn't remind him that he needed to be up early.

She walked up to the front door and knocked gently on it. She waited patiently for someone to answer the door. She was relieved when the door was finally pulled open and saw that it was Lucas. She couldn't help but smile at the frazzled look on his face. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

Lucas turned red, embarrassed. "No, it's ok. What are you doing here this early in the morning?" he asked. Brooke didn't even have a chance to respond when it suddenly dawned on him. He groaned. "I was supposed to be at your house to help Victoria out with the party, wasn't I?" he asked her.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, and you know how my mother doesn't like people to be tardy. Not to mention that she wants everything to go smoothly for the party. And she doesn't think that can happen if everybody doesn't sticks to the schedule."

Lucas nodded understandingly. He knew all too well how Victoria was. "I'm sorry. Give me ten minutes and I'll be right there."

"I can wait," Brooke told him. "I'm just not sure my mother can."

Lucas knew that was true. "I'll be done as soon as possible," he said before he hurried to his bedroom, where Lindsey still was lying in the bed. He gave his girlfriend an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Lindsey. But it looks like I'm going to have to take a rain check on our day alone. I forgot that I have to help the gang set up for the twins' birthday party."

Lindsey looked at him annoyed. "I don't get why you have to go. Like you said, the whole gang is over there. Besides, you're not even related to Victoria and Brooke."

Lucas gave her a look. "You know that they are like family to me. And I did promise to help." He could see that Lindsey was still angry at him. "But once I've finished helping after the party, I'm all yours." However, Lindsey wasn't convinced. "I promise that it will be just you and me tonight."

"No interruptions?" Lindsey asked.

Lucas nodded his head. "No interruptions," he repeated.

Soon, Brooke and Lucas were back at the house. Victoria immediately sent Lucas to work while she told Brooke to relax since she was technically her guest. Brooke then decided to call Julian and Millie. After those two phone calls, she realized that she had forgotten to wrap her gifts. She walked over to the storage closet and was disappointed to see that there wasn't any wrapping paper. She tried to think of where else her mother could have put it.

"Can I help you with something?" a familiar voice asked, making Brooke jump. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok. I was just looking for some wrapping paper. I need to wrap my gifts for Cassidy and Charlotte," Brooke replied. "But I guess we're out."

"Yeah, I think Victoria used the last of it the other day," Carrie replied. "I guess she didn't have a chance to buy some more. I can go to the store if you want. I have to buy some things anyway. I can just pick that up along the way."

Brooke gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks. That would be great. You know, I'm surprised that you're working today. I would have thought that you had a day off."

"I do this afternoon, but your stepfather and mother wanted me to keep an eye on them this morning," Carrie replied. "But I was hoping that your mother would let someone else to take care of your sisters while I go to the store."

"Well, you found someone," Brooke said. "I can do it."

Carrie looked at her skeptically. "Brooke, I don't mean to offend you, but are you sure that you can handle it?" she asked her. "You haven't been around them that much. And they don't know you that well." Brooke was about to protest when Carrie didn't let her answer. "I'm going to see if Karen will watch them."

Brooke was hurt by Carrie's comment, but didn't say anything as she went back to her bedroom. She shut the door before she quickly started packing her clothes back into her suitcase. She then grabbed her toiletry items from the bathroom and stuffed them in. She ignored the knock on her door as she continued packing.

She heard the door open and wasn't surprised to hear her mother's voice. "Brooke, are you ok?" she asked before she saw what her daughter was doing. "Brooke, what are you doing?" she asked her.

Brooke stopped for a moment and turned to her mother. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm packing up and heading back to Boston as soon as I can. Who was I kidding? You will never give me your blessing to marry Julian." Victoria was about to respond when her daughter continued. "And I will never be close to Charlotte and Cassidy as much as the others are. I can't even tell them apart. I'm practically a stranger to them."

"As you spend more time with Cassidy and Charlotte, you will learn to see the differences between them," Victoria assured her.

"Maybe if you would put them in different outfits, it would be easier to tell them apart," Brooke replied. "They are two different people, Mom. They deserve to be individually recognized."

"Why don't we talk about what you're really upset about?" Victoria suggested.

Brooke was ready to attack. "Why are you being so stubborn about me and Julian? What is so bad about him that makes it so you won't give us your blessing?"

"I don't have anything against him. I just know that he's not the one for you," Victoria replied.

"And you don't want me to make the same mistake that you and Daddy did by marrying too early, right?" Brooke guessed, repeating the same reason that Julian had told her. "Unlike you and Daddy, Julian and I are in love."

Victoria gave her a look. "You know that's not fair. Your father and I were forced to marry because I was pregnant with you. If I hadn't gotten pregnant, I probably wouldn't have married until I was sure that I was in love and ready to marry."

"So you're blaming me for not be able to marry for love right away?" Brooke exclaimed in disbelief. "Or why it took you so long to accept Andy's proposal?"

Victoria sighed. "No, of course not. But I did have to think of you. And I had to make sure that I was truly in love with him."

"But you didn't have to worry about me. You knew that I adored Andy right from the start," Brooke protested. "In fact, he asked me for my permission and my blessing to marry you. He has supported me with every decision I've made. You have too until now. Why can't you support me in the biggest decision of my life?" she asked.

"Because you're making a mistake by marrying Julian," Victoria replied.

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you! I can't believe that my own mother is forbidding me to marry the love of my life! After all you taught me about love and marriage, you now decide that you don't want to be part of my life!" Her mother was about to protest when Brooke stopped her. "Save it! I'm done with your excuses! If you don't want to accept my marriage to Julian, then you might as well not be part of my life at all!" she exclaimed angrily as she pulled her suitcase out of her bedroom.

Victoria followed her daughter as she hurried down the stairs. "Brooke, can we talk about this?" she asked her.

"What else is there to talk about? You have made it perfectly clear that you don't want Julian as part of our family. So if you don't want him, you don't have me anymore," she told her as she headed towards the front door. She then noticed that everyone had listened to them yelling. She turned to the crowd. "I'm sorry, everybody, but it looks like I have to get back to Boston. Have a fun time at the party. I'll call you as soon as I get back." She then left the house without another word.

As she headed over to a limousine, she heard a voice calling her. She wasn't surprised to recognize it as Lucas's. He always did seem to chase after her when she ran away after fighting. She stopped for a moment as the driver put her suitcase into the trunk. "Brooke, don't go," he pleaded. Brooke shook her head. "At least stay for the party."

Brooke let out a sigh before she spoke. "Lucas, you and I both know that I don't belong here anymore. I just didn't want to admit it until Carrie pointed out that I don't even know my sisters that well enough to baby-sit them alone. And she's right. I've only visited them a couple of times since they were born. And my mother and Andy send me pictures of them practically every day, but I still can't tell them apart." Lucas was about to respond when Brooke continued. "Look, I know what you are trying to do, but I just need some space from everyone right now."

"That doesn't mean that you should leave town," Lucas replied.

"I know, but I think it will be easier for me if I do. Apologize to Haley and Peyton for me, ok?" Brooke asked before she embraced him in a quick hug. She then climbed into the limousine before the driver shut the door. She waved good-bye to Lucas before settling back in her seat. She then called Julian to tell him that she was heading home.


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my awesome beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Cassidy and Charlotte

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Soon, Brooke was back in Boston. After the disastrous weekend, she decided to just go ahead and start planning the wedding. Julian was surprised, but he didn't object. After much discussion, they decided to have their wedding in January. It would be easier since they had many events going on until the end of the year.

Once Brooke got to deciding on the wedding party, she debated on whether to keep Haley and Peyton as matron of honor and bridesmaid. They had stopped by her hotel room in the morning to bring her breakfast. However, it just led to them arguing. Haley had claimed that Brooke wasn't just pushing Victoria out of her life. It was everyone. After all, they were family. Brooke didn't want to admit it, but she was right. She didn't stop them as they angrily left her hotel room. Instead, she had continued packing until she was ready to check out of her hotel and hail a cab to the airport.

Brooke was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Julian coming into the bedroom. It wasn't until he called her name out loudly that she noticed him. "So what are you working on?" he asked her as he came onto the bed next to her.

"I'm trying to figure out the wedding party. We have a best man, a couple of groomsmen, a bridesmaid, a flower girl and a ring-bearer," Brooke replied. "But I'm still missing my matron of honor and a bridesmaid." She let out a sigh. "I don't know if I still want Haley and Peyton involved. Or even if they want to be involved."

Julian looked at her. "You should make up with them, Brooke. They are your best friends. I can see that you're miserable. And I'm sure that they are too," he assured her. Brooke didn't answer, knowing that he was right. "And you know who else is probably miserable too?" he asked her.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I know." She knew that she had to talk to her mother. "I'll call them in the morning. Right now, I think I'm ready for some loving from my handsome fiancé," she said as she kinked her eyebrow.

Julian gave her a smile. "And I'm ready to give it to my beautiful fiancée," he said as they shared a passionate kiss. Before they could get much further than that, Brooke heard her cell-phone ringing from her nightstand. Julian groaned. "Why don't you let it go to voicemail?" he asked her as Brooke leaned over to see who it was.

She frowned as she checked the caller id. "It's Haley. I wonder why she would be calling at this time of the night."

"Maybe she read your mind and wants to apologize," Julian suggested.

Brooke smiled at his wishful thinking. "There's only one way to find out," she said before she picked up the phone and put it to her ear. "I know why you're calling. I want to apologize for my behavior. I was just angry at my mother and I took it out on you and Peyton. I'm sorry."

Haley didn't let her go any further. _"Brooke, I'm sorry too. But that's not why I'm calling." _

There was silence on the other end, which made Brooke instantly nervous. "Hales, what's wrong? Is everything ok with you and Nathan? And Megan?" she asked as she climbed off of the bed.

"_No, they're fine," _Haley quickly assured her_._ Brooke let out a sigh of relief as there was a short pause. She took a deep breath and waited to hear the bad news. _"It's your mom and Andy, Brooke. They were in a car accident tonight."_

Brooke suddenly grew worried for them. A million different scenarios started going through her mind. "Oh my God! Are they ok?" she asked, praying that they were. Even though she was mad at her mother, she didn't want anything terrible to happen to her or Andy. "Are Charlotte and Cassidy ok?"

"_Don't worry. The twins are safe and sound at my house,"_ Haley replied. There was then silence on the other end as she heard faint voices. Obviously, Haley couldn't deliver the bad news.

She then heard another familiar voice. _"It's Lucas,"_ Lucas told her. She heard a sigh before he spoke again. _"Brooke, I don't know how to tell you this, but they were both killed," _he said sympathetically. Brooke's heart stopped as she dropped her phone. She stood there in shock as she processed what she had just heard. She started to sob hysterically and Julian came over to comfort her as the tears began to fall.

A couple of days later, Brooke was back on a plane to Tree Hill. Julian was right beside her. He knew that she needed all the support that she could get. He just wished that he could do more for her. He was worried about her. She hadn't eaten or slept much over the last two days. He hated seeing her like this, but he understood that she was grieving. He hoped that she would feel better once she was in Tree Hill, but he also knew that it could make it worse.

For the first night, she stayed in the nursery with Charlotte and Cassidy. Julian had understood, but he made her promise to try and get some sleep. She had told him that she would do her best. However, she couldn't since too much was on her mind. So she just watched her sisters sleep as she let her thoughts wander off.

When they had started to make arrangements, everyone had wanted Brooke to stay somewhere else other than the house. However, she refused to sleep anywhere but her old house. She knew that it would be difficult, but she promised that she would be able to handle it. However, Charlotte and Cassidy had made it difficult for her. She could see how much they looked like her mother and it hurt her to know that they wouldn't be able to know her like she had. Or their father.

It made her wonder what would happen to her sisters now. Her mother had never discussed with her who would be their guardian if something would happen to both her and Andy. She figured that Keith and Karen or Dan and Deb would take them in since they had been named their godparents. She knew that would be discussed with Cooper after the funeral tomorrow since he was their lawyer.

It then hit her hard that she would be burying her mother and stepfather the next day. She still couldn't believe that they were gone. She felt guilty that she had yelled at her mother and wished that she had a chance to reconcile before the car accident had happened. She didn't know the details of the accident and she never wanted to know. The main thing was that her mother and stepfather were dead. And nothing was going to change that.

The next morning, Brooke stood with Julian and her friends over the two closed caskets as Keith did the eulogy. Haley's sister Quinn volunteered to watch the twins and Megan since Carrie was attending the funeral as well.

The only ones who weren't there were Victoria's parents. Karen had called them to tell them about the accident. However, they didn't seem like they really cared about their daughter's death. Brooke hadn't been surprised. They had stopped caring about their daughter and granddaughter from the moment Victoria announced her divorce from Richard. She didn't think that they would start now.

Even though Brooke was surrounded by the people that she loved, she still felt like a traitor. She hadn't spoken to any of them much since she had returned. They had been too busy with setting up the funeral arrangements. She was grateful that they had done that for her. She didn't think that she would have been able to do it.

"Would anybody else like to say something?" Keith asked the crowd.

Brooke had declined before, but she suddenly changed her mind. She nodded her head before speaking. "Yes, I would like to say something," she said as she walked over to him. Keith gave her a gentle smile as he gestured for her to go ahead. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Most of you came to know me and my mother when we moved here from Philadelphia. And as you all know, my mother loved to tell stories. I would like to share her favorite story with you now." Brooke then proceeded to tell their story that she had heard and loved for so many years. She then ended the story a little differently. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke her final words. "After Charlotte and Cassidy were born, they knew that they wouldn't be able to have any more children. But they didn't care because they were happy with the little family that they had. Not to mention their friends who helped raise me." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "They may be gone, but their story will live on." Brooke then walked back over next to Julian and Keith continued the ceremony.

After the funeral was over, everyone started to head back to their vehicles to return to the house for the reception. However, Brooke asked Julian if she could have a few minutes alone. Julian nodded understandingly and left her. She held her tears in for a few seconds before she started to cry again. She then felt someone squeezing her hand and turned to see Lucas beside her. She smiled at him gratefully.

After a few moments, she was able to compose herself and they headed to the reception. At the reception, Brooke greeted her guests. However, she soon started to get tired of the sympathetic looks that everyone kept giving her. She felt like she needed a break and headed to the kitchen, where Karen and Deb were handling the food.

"I can't thank you guys enough for taking care of everything for me," Brooke told them in a grateful tone. "It really means a lot to me. And I know that my mother and Andy would have appreciated it too."

Karen gave her a comforting smile. "It was no problem. We were happy to help. And if you ever need to talk, you know that we're here for you."

Brooke nodded gratefully. "Yeah, I know." She then excused herself and went to find Haley and Peyton. She easily found them talking to each other in a corner. They gave Brooke sad smiles as she walked over to them. "I know I've already apologized, but I want to do it in person. I didn't mean to yell at you guys." She then turned directly to Haley. "And you were right, Hales. You guys are my family too. I just forget that once in awhile. And I would be honored if you would be my matron of honor and bridesmaid for my wedding." Haley and Peyton exchanged smiles before they embraced Brooke in a hug. "I love you guys."

"We love you too," Haley replied before they pulled out of the embrace.

Brooke then felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Cooper. "Brooke, I can't tell you how I'm sorry I am for your loss," he said. "Victoria and Andy were my friends. And I will miss them too."

"Thank you," Brooke replied quietly. "I assume that you want to discuss their will?" she asked him. He nodded. "Do you mind if we wait until the morning? I'm not really in the mood to do it today."

Cooper nodded understandingly. "Of course. I just hope that everyone can make it on time. I know how Lucas can be."

Brooke frowned. "Lucas is coming to the meeting too?"

Cooper nodded. "Yes, Victoria and Andy have left him something as well." He then excused himself as the three women exchanged surprised looks.

Brooke had a thoughtful look on her face. "I wonder what my mom and Andy left him," she said.

"I guess you'll find out tomorrow morning," Haley replied.

A few hours later, most of the guests had gone home except Keith, Karen, Lindsey and Lucas. Brooke started to help them with the leftover food, but they insisted that they could handle it. So she went to check on Charlotte and Cassidy. They had fallen asleep hours ago, but Brooke wanted to check on them again.

Lucas watched her as she looked over their cribs before she left the nursery. He then followed her as she walked back downstairs and sat on the living room couch. He sat down next to her. "You did great today for someone who just lost her mother and stepfather."

Brooke smiled gratefully. She tried not to laugh as she said, "Glad I'm not showing my sadness, guilt or regret."

Lucas looked at her confused. "What do you have to be guilty for? You didn't know that they were going to get in a car accident."

"Because I was the one who suggested they go out for a night without Charlotte and Cassidy," Brooke told him with tears in her eyes. "If I hadn't suggested it, they wouldn't have gone out. And they wouldn't have gotten killed."

Lucas stopped her right there. "Brooke, don't blame yourself. This is_ not_ your fault," he assured her as he gave her a comforting hug. "Things like this just happen. Why did it happen to us? I wish I knew."

"I just wish that she knew that I forgive her for not giving us her blessing," Brooke replied as she started crying again. Lucas pulled her into a comforting embrace as she said, "I would do anything if I could apologize to her." Lucas just held her close until she cried herself to sleep.


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Charlotte and Cassidy

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Early the next morning, Lucas opened his eyes and noticed that he was still in the living room. Brooke was sleeping peacefully and was cuddled up beside him. He slowly moved from her embrace so that he wouldn't wake her. He knew that she needed her sleep. He walked quietly out of the living room and into the hallway. He exchanged greetings with Julian as he came into the kitchen.

"How is Brooke doing?" Julian asked him anxiously.

Lucas sighed. "I think she feels a little better now that she has gotten a few things off her chest."

Julian nodded. "Yeah, I heard." Lucas could tell by the look on his face that he had seen them on the couch last night. He was about to respond, but Julian didn't let him interrupt. "Don't worry about it. I understand how much Brooke needs her friends right now."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks, man."

"I just can't say the same for Lindsey though," Julian told him as he gave him a sympathetic look. "She was pretty pissed when she saw you two together last night."

Lucas sighed. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. She always seems jealous when it comes to me spending time with Brooke. I don't know why she's like that seeing as though Brooke is with you. By the way, how is that going?"

"We're planning to get married in January," Julian told him. "Although, I don't know if it will happen now."

"I'm sure it will," Lucas assured him. "Brooke just needs some time."

Julian nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know. I can't imagine losing my mother like that."

Lucas gave him a stern look. "She was more than just her mother, Julian. She was her best friend. Sure, she had me, Nathan and Haley. But her mother was the one who she looked up to."

Julian knew that he had a point. He decided to drop the subject as they heard footsteps. They turned to see Brooke walking into the kitchen. However, they could tell that she was still in a daze. "Are you hungry for anything today?" Julian asked her softly.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I'm too nervous to eat."

Julian gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure everything will go well with Cooper. I doubt that your mother and stepfather pushed you out of their will."

"It's not me I'm worried about. It's Charlotte and Cassidy," Brooke told them. "I hope Cooper doesn't suggest that they go into the foster care system. I can just imagine them being adopted separately. That would just break my heart." They then jumped as they heard the doorbell ring. Brooke frowned. "I wonder who that could be. I didn't think Cooper and the others were coming for a few more hours."

"They aren't," Lucas replied. "But maybe they are early."

Brooke walked into the foyer and to the front door. She pulled it open and was shocked to see a man that she hadn't seen in years. "Daddy, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded as he walked into the house as if he owned the place. "The last time I saw you was the day you and Mom signed the divorce papers. And I never heard from you again."

"I heard about your mother's tragic death and I wanted to pay my condolences to you," Richard told his daughter. "You must be devastated."

Brooke raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. She wasn't buying his lies. "And now I'm suspicious. After all, it isn't every day that my absentee father comes back into my life. Now what do you really want?" she demanded. She then looked at him hard. She then realized the truth about the real reason why he was there. "Wait a minute; you're here because you think that Mother left you something in her will." She scoffed at him. "That was years ago. Did you really think that she hasn't changed the will since then? She has married and started a new family. One that you were obviously not part of and still aren't." It was still hard to talk about her mother in the past tense. She didn't know if it would get any easier. "By the way, who the hell would call you?"

"It doesn't matter who did," Lucas said as he marched into the room. "Because he shouldn't be here in the first place."

Richard turned to him for a moment. "Excuse me, but this is a private conversation between me and my daughter," he told him.

Brooke glared at him. "Your daughter? You mean the one who you never send a card or present for her birthday? Or a Christmas present? Or phoned just to see how she was? You are _not_ my father. You never were my father! Andrew Hargrove was my father and he is dead!" she exclaimed angrily. "Now get the hell out of my house before I call the police on you for trespassing!"

Richard looked at her for a moment before he left and slammed the door behind him. There was silence for a moment before they heard a faint cry from afar. "I'm going to check on the twins. Tell me when Cooper and the others get here," Brooke told him. Lucas nodded before she headed upstairs. He knew that she needed some time alone with the twins right now.

A few hours later, she and Lucas were sitting at the dining room table across from Cooper. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" Brooke asked him. She had asked him that once before when he had arrived, but she wanted to make sure one last time before they got down to business.

Cooper nodded gratefully. "I'm fine," he assured her. "Now why don't we get started?" he asked them as he started to pull out the paperwork from his bag and put it onto the table.

"Shouldn't we wait for my parents and my aunt and uncle?" Lucas asked him.

"Actually, I've already talked to them last night," Cooper replied as Brooke and Lucas gave him surprised looks. "And they are willing to respect your mother's and stepfather's wishes about the guardianship of Cassidy and Charlotte."

"Please tell me that you aren't planning to separate them from each other," Brooke begged him.

Cooper looked at her confused. "Well, that all depends on you and Lucas."

Brooke and Lucas were completely lost. "Excuse me?" Brooke asked, giving him a confused look of her own. Lucas's expression was identical.

"You do know that your mother and Andy left you two everything, right?" Cooper asked her. "That includes guardianship of Cassidy and Charlotte."

Lucas stopped him right there. "Wait a minute. Back up. What do you mean by us becoming guardians of Cassidy and Charlotte?"

Cooper was surprised. He frowned before he realized his mistake. "I must apologize. All of this was supposed to be discussed after the birthday party." Brooke suddenly felt guilty that she had left before the party even began. There was silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "Victoria and Andy wanted the both of you to take care of the twins if something happened to them."

"But we're not even together as a couple. We were back in high school, but it didn't work out. What does she expect us to do? Get married?" Lucas asked him.

"Actually, that's exactly what she has requested," Cooper told him as he looked at the will.

Brooke couldn't believe her ears. "Cooper, you do know that I'm supposed to get married to Julian in a few months, right?" she asked. "I can't marry Lucas and take care of my sisters. What about Keith and Karen or Dan and Deb? They_ are_ their godparents," she protested. She then took a breath and asked, "What would happen if we decide not to do this?"

"As I said before, that will be entirely up to you two. Your mother and stepfather made it pretty clear that they wanted you and Lucas to take care of the twins," Cooper said. Brooke and Lucas didn't know what to say. "It looks like you need some time to talk about this. I understand," he said as he gathered the paperwork and put it back in his bag. "I'll give you a day or two, but you'll have to make the decision soon."

Brooke nodded understandingly. She then asked him a question that she knew the answer to, but she wanted to make sure. "Cooper, my mother didn't leave anything in the will for my father, did she?"

Cooper frowned before he realized who she meant. "No, your mom didn't leave anything for Richard."

Brooke was relieved. "Thank you for coming. I'll walk you out." She then led him to the front door before they exchanged good-byes. He then walked out the door before she shut it behind him. She then turned back to Lucas. "I can't believe my mother entrusted us with Cassidy and Charlotte. That certainly explains why she didn't want me to marry Julian."

"Brooke, I understand why you don't want to do this. But what else can we do?" Lucas asked her. Brooke knew that he had a point. She didn't want to ship them off to foster care. "Besides, it might be fun. It will be just like old times. Remember when we were paired together during our junior year and we had to take care of that baby for class?"

Brooke managed to smile at the memories of them taking care of that fake baby. It had been fun, but tough work. "But that was a baby. Charlotte and Cassidy are toddlers. It's a completely different age group. And what about Julian and Lindsey? It won't be fair to them if we decide to do this."

"I know Julian will understand," Lucas said. There was a short pause before he spoke again. "And I was planning on breaking up with Lindsey anyway." Brooke was surprised. "This weekend made me realize that she's not the right one for me. Especially if she can't get along with one of my best friends."

Brooke knew that he meant her. "I don't know what her problem is. I haven't been anything but nice to her."

Lucas sighed. "I know. And I can't take it anymore. So I'm going to go over there now and give her a piece of my mind." He turned her to one last time before leaving. "So we're doing this, right? We're going to take guardianship of Cassidy and Charlotte?"

Brooke nodded. It was a tough decision, but there was no doubt in her mind that she was going to take care of her sisters. She was just surprised that her mother and stepfather had requested for Lucas to be the one to help her out. She didn't say anything as he said good-bye to her. She then closed the door behind him.

She stood there for a few moments before walking to the library, where Julian had been during the meeting. They exchanged greetings as she walked into the room. "I didn't realize that your mom and Andy had so many books," he told her.

"Most of them belonged to Andy. He always would bring books back from his travels," Brooke replied. "I don't know what I'm going to do with all of them."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Julian assured her. "So I assume their wills said that you got everything." Brooke nodded. "So do you want to move back here or sell the house?" he asked her.

Brooke didn't answer for a moment. She didn't know how to tell him. "Staying here might be a good idea since it turns out that I have guardianship of Charlotte and Cassidy." She then took a deep breath before she continued. "And so does Lucas."

Julian looked at her confused. "What?"

"My mother and Andy have requested for me to be their guardian, but I have to be with Lucas," Brooke replied.

Julian nodded understandingly. "I see."

Brooke instantly felt bad for him. "Julian, I'm sorry. I love you, but they are my sisters. I can't imagine what would happen to them if I didn't take them in," she told him.

Julian stopped her right there. "It's ok, Brooke."

Brooke was surprised. "You're not mad?"

Julian shook his head. "Your mom never did think that I was good enough for you. You always did trust your mother's judgment until you met me. So this is perhaps telling me that we really don't belong together."

Brooke didn't say anything as she pulled off her engagement ring and handed it over to him. "We're still friends, right?"

Julian nodded as he gave her a comforting smile. "Of course we are."

"Good because I have a feeling that Lucas and I will need all the love and support we can get," Brooke replied.


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Lucas stepped into the front hall and listened for any noise. "Lindsey, I'm home," he called as he walked through the house. "Are you here?" he called as he started to get worried. He was relieved when he saw Lindsey in the kitchen. "Didn't you hear me calling you?" he asked her as he noticed her pouring champagne into a glass. He saw that another glass was already filled and was sitting on the counter. "What's going on?" he asked her as she put the bottle of champagne down.

Lindsey gave him a wide smile. "This is a celebration to our new life," she replied as she handed him the glass she was holding. She then grabbed the other glass from the counter as she said, "Even though I hate you for staying at Brooke's all night, I understand why you did it. After all, you are part of that family. So how much of the inheritance did Andy and Victoria gave you? I don't really care how much it is as long as you share it with your girlfriend."

Lucas didn't answer for a few moments. "Lindsey, we need to talk," he said as he put his glass down on the counter.

Lindsey looked at him concerned. She put her own glass down and followed him into the living room. "Lucas, what is it?" she asked anxiously. "What's wrong?" she asked as they sat down on the couch.

Lucas took a deep breath before speaking. "Lindsey, I don't think our relationship is working out."

Lindsey looked at him confused. "Is this because of Brooke and my attitude towards her?" Lucas was about to answer when she went on to say, "Look, I will do better in being nice to her. I will. I promise."

Lucas shook his head. "It's not just about her. I just don't feel that our relationship is going anywhere. We have been living together for months and all we do is have sex."

"What's wrong with that?" Lindsey asked as she frowned. "I thought you enjoyed it. I know I do."

Lucas sighed. "I do, but that's not the point. I want something more than that. I want to move onto the next step and know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife and the mother to my children." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "Unfortunately, I feel that I have fallen out of love with you."

Lindsey couldn't believe her ears. "So that's it? You're breaking up with me? Did you ever consider my feelings?"

"Of course I have. That's why I'm trying to do it gently," Lucas replied. "Look, I know you're upset."

Lindsey didn't let him go on. "I gave my whole life up for you and you just dump me like this? How could you do this to me?" She didn't let him answer. "If we're breaking up, you're the one who is moving out. I don't care if this is your house or not. I want you and your stuff out of here by the end of the day." Normally, Lucas would argue that it was his house. But he would be moving out anyway, so he decided not to argue with her. He instead got up from the couch and headed to their bedroom. Lindsey frowned as she followed him. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

Lucas gave her a look. "I'm packing. You _want_ me to move out, remember?" he asked her as he turned back to his work.

"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to give in so quickly," Lindsey replied. She then raised her eyebrows. "Why_ are_ you giving in so quickly?" she asked suspiciously.

Lucas really didn't want to tell her the truth as he knew that she would go off the deep end. "Because I don't care about the house. It's just a house."

Lindsey wasn't falling for his excuse. She knew him too well. "Ok, what is really going on with you? Why are you really moving out?" she demanded.

Lucas sighed. "Now that Victoria and Andy are gone, Brooke needs some help with raising the twins. So I told her that I would help her out," he told her. He didn't dare mention about marrying her. He knew that she would be pissed off about it. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew that you would assume I was breaking up with you because of her. And I'm not."

"Are you sure you two are the best people to raise them?" Lindsey asked him in a skeptical tone. "After all, neither of you guys have been around children that much. You don't even spend time that much time with Megan. How the hell are you going to take care of two babies that you aren't even related to?"

Lucas knew that she had a point. "I don't know. Brooke and I will figure it out."

"Why are you so determined to do this?" Lindsey asked him before she looked at him hard. "Is that what Victoria and Andy left you in their wills? They want you to be a guardian of Brooke's sisters? Are they fucking crazy?"

Lucas glared at her. "See, this is why we shouldn't be together. You never support me in my decisions. You don't believe in me. You don't trust me when it comes to me hanging out with my friends especially Brooke."

Lindsey gave him a look. "Lucas, her mother hated me. She might not have admitted it, but I could tell that she did. How do I know that Brooke doesn't feel the same way? Especially since with her being your ex-girlfriend," she reminded him.

Lucas gave her an exasperated look. "Lindsey, how many times I have to tell you that Brooke and I are just friends now? Our relationship was years ago."

"If that was true, then why would Victoria choose_ you_ as the one to help Brooke?" Lindsey demanded. Lucas didn't answer her as he quickly finished packing his suitcase. Lindsey knew the conversation was over. "Be mad at me if you want to. But don't come crawling back to me when Brooke kicks you out of her house for failing to take care of her sisters properly." She then left a relieved Lucas to finish his packing.

When he was done, he was out of there. He didn't even bother say to good-bye to Lindsey. Once he arrived back at the house, he found Brooke and Julian both packing their suitcases. Brooke stopped for a moment as she saw Lucas. "Hey, how did it go with Lindsey?" she asked him. Lucas didn't answer. Both Julian and Brooke knew what that meant. "I'm sorry, Luke."

Lucas really didn't want to talk about his argument with Lindsey. He frowned as he looked at the suitcases once again. "You're going back to Boston?" he asked Brooke.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I have to take care of some stuff there. After all, I have to tell my employees that I'm moving my business down here. Not to mention pack all my stuff and move it here."

"I told her that I would be happy to take care of all that for her, but she insists on doing it herself," Julian told him.

"Who is going to take care of the twins while you're gone?" Lucas asked her. "And how long are you going to be gone?"

Brooke shrugged. "I don't know yet. It will depend how long it will take to get everything ready. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." She was about to pull the suitcase out into the hallway when she remembered to answer Lucas's other question. "And Carrie is going to be taking care of Cassidy and Charlotte. I figured that would help you out so you can get over Lindsey."

"I think taking care of the twins would help distract me. Besides, they will have to get used to me anyway," Lucas pointed out. "What about you? Don't you think that they need their sister around right now?"

Brooke gave him a look. "No, they need familiar people around them," she replied before she disappeared into the hall.

Lucas sighed as he turned to Julian. Julian somehow knew what he was thinking. "Don't worry. I'll look after her while we're in Boston."

Lucas gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Julian. I'd really appreciate it."

"Brooke already called Cooper and told him your decision," Julian told him. "He said that you two would have to go to court for some stuff. And there might be a social worker assigned to check up on you guys once in awhile, but that's it. They're all yours."

Lucas just nodded as he stared off into space, Lindsey's words repeating in his head. He couldn't stand it any longer. He had to clear his head and he knew the perfect place to do it. He didn't say anything as he left the doorway and went down the stairs. He went past Brooke who gave him a confused look. He heard her calling him, but he didn't answer as he went out the front door.

A half-hour later, Brooke was playing with the twins in the lounge when she heard the doorbell ring. She got up from the floor and walked out of the room. She went to the front door and pulled it open. She wasn't surprised to see Haley and Peyton with their daughters. She had called them over to talk and thought that the toddlers could have a play date while they did. They eagerly accepted since they were dying to know what had happened during the meeting with Cooper.

Brooke gave them a welcoming smile as they walked into the foyer. They exchanged greetings before she spoke. "Why don't you put Megan and Jenny in the lounge with the twins? Then we can go in the kitchen. We'll talk there."

Peyton and Haley did as they were told before following Brooke into the kitchen. There was an awkward silence before Haley spoke. "So how was the meeting with Cooper?" she asked her curiously.

"It went fine. It's the meeting with Richard that didn't go well," Brooke replied. Her friends looked at her confused. "My so-called dad showed up out of the blue a few hours before the meeting." Her friends were now surprised. "He told me that he had heard about my mother's accident and wanted to send his condolences. Of course, I knew he was lying. He never cared about my mother or me before. So I confronted him about it. He then admitted that he really wanted to see if he had gotten anything out of the will. I thought he was crazy. After I yelled at him, I kicked him out of the house."

Haley shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe that he thought Victoria had left him something in the will," she said.

"I can't believe that he had the nerve to show his face after being absent for twenty years," Brooke replied in an angry tone. "Who the hell does he think he is? He hasn't been part of my life since I was two. Actually, he was never around. He was too busy cheating on my mother to pay attention to me or her." She turned to her friends. "Nobody called him, did they? Because I'm wondering who in their right mind would call him and tell him about my mother's accident."

"It certainly wasn't Karen or Deb. They were in charge of making the phone calls. As far as I know, they didn't," Haley replied. "Do you think your grandparents called him?"

"I wouldn't know since I haven't heard from them in years," Brooke replied. "But I don't think so. They never liked him. After all, they only wanted my parents to marry because my mother was pregnant with me." She then let out a sigh. "I don't know why I still call him 'Dad' when he doesn't even treat me like a daughter. Andy was more of a dad to me than he was." She then became quiet at the mention of Andy's name. It was still hard for her to believe that both he and her mother were gone.

Peyton knew that it was time to change the subject. "Speaking of Andy, what went on at the meeting with Cooper?" she asked her. "Who are going to be guardians of Cassidy and Charlotte?"

Brooke didn't say anything for a moment. "Lucas and I are." Haley and Peyton looked at her shocked. "Yeah, Lucas and I had the same reaction when Cooper told us. At first, I didn't want to do it because of Julian and our engagement. But he was really understanding about the whole situation. So we broke off our engagement."

"What about Lindsey?" Peyton asked. "I have a feeling that she won't be exactly happy about this."

"I don't think she was," Brooke replied. "Lucas left earlier to talk to her about it." She didn't mention anything about Lucas planning to break up with her. She didn't think that it was her place to tell her friends about it. "When he came back, I could see that the conversation obviously hadn't gone well. He left shortly after that and hasn't been back since. If I know him, he went to the River Court to do some thinking."

"I don't blame him. You guys are taking a huge step by planning to take responsibility for Cassidy and Charlotte," Peyton said.

Brooke then let out a sigh. "I just wish I felt more confident about becoming Cassidy's and Charlotte's guardian."

Haley gave her a comforting smile. "You'll do great. And we're all here to help you two. Victoria and Andy wouldn't have given you and Lucas guardianship of the twins if they didn't believe that you two couldn't handle the job. I believe you guys can."

"So do I," Peyton added. "And like Haley said, we're all here to help you."

Brooke smiled in return. "Thanks guys."


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Peyton and Haley then asked about the suitcase in the front hall. Brooke then explained her plans. They were surprised that Brooke was returning to Boston so soon, but they understood her reasons behind it. "Do you want us to start packing up Victoria's and Andy's stuff while you're gone?" Peyton asked her.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I'll sort it all out when I get back."

Haley gave her a smile. "Well, it should be a fun trip for Cassidy and Charlotte. As I recall, they've never been on a plane ride before," she said.

Brooke didn't respond for a moment. She then said, "Actually, they aren't coming with me." Haley and Peyton were surprised. "Neither is Lucas."

Haley frowned. "Why not?"

"Because Cassidy and Charlotte need familiar people around them right now," Brooke replied. "And I'm just a stranger to them. Plus I'm going to be packing my stuff and I don't want them to get in the way."

"So who is going to take care of them while you're in Boston?" Peyton asked. "And how long are you going to be gone?"

"I thought Carrie could watch them since you two have your own toddlers to take care of," Brooke replied. "Speaking of her, I should call her before I do anything else." She then grabbed her cell-phone and started dialing Carrie's cell-phone number.

"So Lucas isn't going with you?" Haley asked her.

"No, I thought that he should stay behind so he could get over Lindsey," Brooke replied as she put the phone against her ear. She then excused herself so she could talk to Carrie privately without anybody bothering her. When she came back into the room, Peyton and Haley could see that she was upset.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked her.

"Carrie has gone on a vacation without notifying me. She thought that Lucas and I should spend some alone time with Charlotte and Cassidy," Brooke replied.

"That's exactly what you need to do," Haley told her softly. "You should get to know them so they are more comfortable around you and Lucas."

"So you're suggesting that I take them to Boston with me?" Brooke asked her. "I don't think so. I'm not prepared to take them on a trip like that."

"No, you stay here with Lucas while we go to Boston for you," Haley offered. "I'm sure Keith, Karen, Deb and Dan would love to help you out with moving everything here. And nobody would mind going on a road trip." Brooke was about to protest, but Haley didn't let her interrupt. "I know you want to oversee things yourself, but Cassidy and Charlotte really need you right now."

Brooke didn't say anything as she watched the children play. She then excused herself before leaving the room. She went upstairs and to the guestroom. She then closed the door and leaned against it for only a moment before bursting into tears.

She didn't want to admit it, but she hated her mother and Andy for doing this to her. She wanted them back so that she could return to Boston and prepare for her wedding to Julian. Despite the encouragement from her friends, she still had doubts that she and Lucas could raise her sisters. Even though her mother and Andy believed in her, she didn't believe in herself. She loved her sisters dearly, but she wasn't ready to become a full-time parent.

After she had calmed down, she went back downstairs to her friends. "You know, I think it's time that we get going," Peyton said as she and Haley each picked up their daughters. "Call us if you need anything."

Brooke just nodded as she led them to the door. She then closed it behind her as she let out a sigh. She then jumped as Julian appeared. "Julian, don't sneak up on me like that," she scolded him. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Julian replied as they headed to the lounge. Brooke sat back down next to the twins and started playing with them again. He just watched her for a moment before speaking again. "You know, Peyton and Haley told me about their idea to send the adults to Boston while you and Lucas stay here with Charlotte and Cassidy. I think it's a great idea and you really should consider it." Brooke gave him a look. "What's wrong?"

Brooke didn't say anything as she picked up Cassidy. "Ok, I think it's time for your nap. Could you get Charlotte?" she asked him. Julian knew that something was bothering her. Yet, he knew that she wasn't going to tell him right then. He picked up Charlotte and followed her to the nursery. After the twins were settled in their cribs, the two tiptoed out of the room.

They then went back down to the kitchen before Julian decided to try again. "Ok, what is bothering you?"

Brooke was quiet before turning to her former fiancé. "Tell me the truth, Julian. Are you really ok with breaking off our engagement to let me raise my sisters with another man?" she asked him. But she didn't let him speak. "Because I'm not," she admitted. "I want to marry you and live in Boston. I'm nowhere near ready to have children. Now I have to take care of two. I love Cassidy and Charlotte, but I hate that I have to drop everything to raise them."

Julian stopped her right there. "Whoa, calm down. I know that you're upset. I am too." Brooke looked at him curious. Julian let out a sigh before continuing his explanation. "I didn't want to admit it, but I was hurt, disappointed and angry when I found out that your mother chose Lucas to help you raise your sisters instead of me. After all, I was your fiancé. We were supposed to get married and spend the rest of our lives together, not you and Lucas."

"Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" Brooke asked him.

"I didn't want to tell you because I thought it would be selfish of me if I didn't let you go."

Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "You are never selfish. That's one of the things that I love about you," she said as she gave him a passionate kiss. She then let out a sigh. "I really wish that we didn't have to cancel our wedding."

"I know. Me either," Julian replied. "There has to be a way that we can be together and you can still raise your sisters."

"My mother was very specific. I have to be married to Lucas in order to be guardians of Cassidy and Charlotte," Brooke told him. "I still don't understand why she chose Lucas instead of you."

"Well, you two do have a history together," Julian pointed out. "After all, you two have been best friends since childhood. And you two had dated back in high school. How long was that relationship again?"

"It was on and off for two years," Lucas said as he came into the kitchen. Julian and Brooke turned to him. "What's going on?" Julian and Brooke exchanged looks. Lucas then realized what they had been talking about. "This is about Charlotte and Cassidy, isn't it?"

"It's nothing personal, Lucas," Julian replied. "But Brooke and I love each other. We want to be together."

"I understand that, but what about Charlotte and Cassidy?" Lucas asked Brooke.

Brooke looked at Julian and he got the message. He left the two alone to talk before she turned back to Lucas. "Come on, Luke. We both know that we're not ready to be full-time parents," she replied. "We're way too young. Besides, I want to get married to my fiancé. That can't happen if I'm married to you."

"So I don't have a say in this?" Lucas asked her. "I know that you two love each other, but this isn't about you two. It's about what's best for Cassidy and Charlotte. And what's best for them is to stay with their sister." Brooke was about to protest when he continued. "I know that they don't know you or me that well, but that doesn't mean that they can't."

Brooke shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lucas," she replied. "I can't do it."

"Why not?" Lucas asked her.

Brooke was once again quiet for a moment before answering. "Because it would be too painful for me," she told him. "Everything here in Tree Hill is a constant reminder of my mom and Andy including Cassidy and Charlotte. Every time I look at them, I see my mom. Seeing the twins every day would just be too painful for me."

"So you think that going back to Boston and shipping the twins off to social services would solve all of your problems?" Lucas asked. He spoke in an annoyed tone as he continued. "Look, I'm sorry that your mother and Andy chose me instead of your precious fiancé to help you raise Cassidy and Charlotte. I wasn't expecting that either. But I was willing to drop everything to help raise them. Do you know why? Because I love and care about them."

Brooke was then able to speak. "And you think that I don't? Lucas, I want to take care of them. I really do. But this isn't the right time for me to do this. I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm going to call Cooper and tell him that we've changed our minds."

Lucas then knew that the conversation was over. "No, I'll do it. I need to talk to him about legal stuff anyway concerning my house." He then corrected himself. "Well, it's Lindsey's house now."

Brooke raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What happened?"

Lucas didn't want to discuss it with her. "It doesn't matter because we're not doing it anyway." Brooke was about to respond but he didn't even let her get a word in. "I got to go." He didn't even say good-bye to Brooke as he headed towards the front door. As soon as he got into his car, he pulled out his cell-phone and called his mom. He put the phone to his ear and waited until he heard her voice before speaking. "Mom, I need a place to stay. Do you think I can stay at the house for awhile?"

The next morning, Brooke wanted to eat breakfast at the café. She hadn't had a chance to go back there yet since her arrival in Tree Hill. However, Julian thought that Brooke needed a break from being with the twins. Brooke had to agree. So they decided to drop the twins off at daycare, which just happened to be owned by Deb. She was surprised to see them there, but she was willing to take care of the twins for the day.

They then drove over to the café. When they walked in, Karen was there to greet them. She gave them a warm smile. "Good morning. What can I get you two?" she asked as they went up to the counter.

"I would love a mocha double latte with extra foam and one of your croissants," Brooke replied. Julian was about to add his order when he heard his cell-phone ringing. He excused himself and went outside to take the call. "He wants a regular coffee and a croissant as well."

Karen nodded as she got the coffee ready. "So I have heard that you had quite a day yesterday; Richard unexpectedly showed up to claim his share of the will. Cooper told you that you and Lucas were to become guardians of the twins. You two were going to accept the responsibility, but then you suddenly changed your mind." Brooke wondered what she was going to say next. "It's ok. I don't blame you. It's such a big decision. I would have felt the same way if your mom would have died while you were a child."

Brooke frowned. "What do you mean?"

"After you and your mother moved here, she was afraid of your future if something happened to her," Karen explained. "After all, she was now a single parent. Richard wouldn't help her and your grandparents wouldn't help. She was pretty sure that they wouldn't want to raise you. She didn't want you to be raised by strangers and be taken away from Tree Hill. She knew that the only way to do that was to assign guardians to raise you if anything happened to her."

"So she picked you and Keith to look after me?" Brooke asked. Karen nodded. "Would you have done it?"

Karen gave her a smile. "Yes, I would have. I loved you like my own daughter. I still do. Even though Keith and I already had Lucas, we were still willing to take you in if we had to. I knew that I couldn't replace your mom. And I wouldn't want to. But I knew that Keith and I would have been able to raise you the way your mother would have wanted us to."

"How did you know that?" Brooke asked her.

"Because she trusted us and knew that her daughter would be protected, cared for and mostly importantly loved," Karen replied. Brooke was quiet as Julian came back into the cafe. She then handed them their breakfasts. "Here you go. Enjoy. Let me know if you need anything."

Julian gave her a smile. "Thanks, Mrs. Scott," he replied.

"It's Karen to you," Karen told him before she left them alone.

Julian started the conversation. However, Brooke wasn't listening. Instead, she was thinking about what Karen had just said. Julian could see that she wasn't paying attention and tried to get her back into reality. "Brooke, are you ok?" he asked her.

Brooke turned to him. She was quiet for a moment. She knew that she had made a mistake. "Julian, I can't let my sisters grow up without me." Julian groaned at what he heard. "They have already and it kills me. My mom entrusted me to raise them. I know it's with Lucas instead of you, but it's just the way it has to be." Julian didn't want to hear it. "Maybe Lucas and I can just try raising the twins for a little while. If it doesn't work out, then we'll see where we are. Just wait for me."

Julian wasn't convinced. "How do I know that you're not going to fall in love with him again?"

Brooke knew that he had a point. "Because that ship has sailed. Lucas is only doing this for me and my sisters. So am I."

Julian sighed before answering. "If he hurts you, then I'm going to kick his ass."

Brooke squealed happily before she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Julian. You don't know how much this means to me. I'm going to go and find Lucas. Hopefully, he hasn't called Cooper yet." She then dashed out of the café without even saying good-bye to Julian or Karen.


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

That afternoon, Julian packed up his bags and headed back to Boston. Brooke was disappointed that he wasn't staying longer as she still needed him. But she understood why he felt that he had to leave. He was hurt and needed some time away from her. However, he was willing to help her friends pack up her stuff and move it down to Tree Hill.

Despite Brooke's objection, Haley told Keith and Karen about the idea anyway. They instantly loved the idea and started making plans. After some coaxing, Brooke finally agreed to it. She wished that she was going along, but she knew that she wasn't ready for a road or airplane trip with two one-year-olds. They were still getting used to her and vice versa.

While Keith, Karen, Dan and Haley's parents headed to Boston, Lucas and Brooke spent time getting to know the twins. As Brooke spent more time with them, she started to notice the differences between them. Cassidy had darker hair than Charlotte. It was also curly while Charlotte's hair was straight. She was also right-handed while Charlotte was left-handed. They also had different personalities. Cassidy was much shyer than her twin sister. She was much more attached to Brooke while Charlotte didn't seem to care who held her or played with her.

Brooke was glad that she had found her mother's daily schedule for the twins. It made her and Lucas settle into a routine much easier. However, it was still challenging for them. When the schedule was off, Brooke always panicked while Lucas was laid back. He didn't know why everything always had to be perfect with Brooke.

"You are just like your mom sometimes," Lucas told her. "Everything has to be just perfect."

Brooke gave him a look. "That's not true."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Do you remember your "Sweet Sixteen" party? Everything was going wrong and you were so panicked that you almost canceled it." Brooke didn't want to admit it, but he was right. "I'm sure you're even worse now that you're a wedding planner. Speaking of weddings, how do you want to do ours?"

Brooke hadn't even thought about their wedding. She bit her lip. "That is a tough one. Churches are usually booked months in advance."

"We don't have to do it at a church. We can have it in the backyard with just our families and friends," Lucas pointed out. Brooke couldn't argue with that. "But the problem is that we don't have a minister."

Brooke thought for a moment. "I don't think we have to," she replied. Lucas gave her a confused look. Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "Just leave everything to me. After all, I _am _a wedding planner."

"I'm telling you right now that Nathan is going to be my best man," Lucas told her.

Brooke gave him a look. "I didn't mean the wedding party. Of course you can have Nathan as your best man. I'll have Haley as my matron of honor and Peyton as my bridesmaid. And Jake can be your groomsman."

Lucas hesitated for a moment before asking his next question. "Are you planning to have anybody walk you down the aisle?"

Brooke was quiet for a moment. She always dreamed that Andy would be the one who would walk her down the aisle. Now that he was gone, she didn't know who else deserved the job. She was relieved when she heard a cry from the baby monitor. "I should go and check on the twins. I'll be right back."

She quickly hurried up to the second floor and walked into the nursery. She saw that both twins were crying. She picked up Cassidy first, knowing that she could calm her down faster. However, Cassidy kept crying. Brooke tried to soothe her as she walked towards the rocking chair. "I know that you miss Mama. I miss her too," she said as she gently sat in the chair. "But you still have me and Charlotte. And I promise that I won't leave you two." She couldn't believe that she almost had. She was glad that she hadn't gone back to Boston with Julian. Her friends were right. Cassidy and Charlotte needed her right now. She was the only family that they had left.

Brooke was upset that her grandparents were still holding a grudge against her mother and weren't willing to get to know their granddaughters. It had been years since the divorce. So they should have gotten it over by now and moved on. She would have loved to have the sweet grandparents who spoiled their granddaughter to death.

Even after Richard's parents had found out about their granddaughter, they had never been around. They were always too busy to pay attention to anything but their work. They had sent her extravagant birthday and Christmas presents every year. It was nice, but it wasn't the same as their presence.

Brooke then decided not to dwell on the past and instead focus on her wedding. She still couldn't believe that her mother had chosen Lucas to be her husband. Yes, they had a history together, but their relationship hadn't worked out. So she didn't know why her mother still wanted her and Lucas to be together. However, she was willing to make the marriage work so she could keep guardianship of Charlotte and Cassidy.

Over the next few days, Brooke worked on the wedding plans. After thinking about it, she thought that a backyard wedding sounded perfect. She and Lucas then decided to wait until the others came back from their road trip before having the wedding.

Brooke then remembered something. "Where are we going to put all of my stuff? The house is already full of my mom's and Andy's stuff."

Lucas didn't say anything at first. "Maybe it's time to sort through some of the items and see if you want to give some to my parents or my aunt and uncle. There has to be some things that your mom and Andy wouldn't mind being given away to their friends."

Brooke knew that he had a point. "I just don't know if I'm ready to clean out their stuff though."

Lucas sighed. "I know you don't, but we have to make some space somehow. Do you really want to keep all of those books in the library?"

Brooke wasn't surprised that he mentioned the library. She knew Lucas loved to read books just as much as Andy had. "Why? Are you thinking of restarting your book collection since you kicked yourself out of your own house?"

Lucas gave her a look. "I didn't kick myself out of my house. Lindsey did. I just didn't fight back."

"Why not?" Brooke asked him as she followed him to the library. She still didn't quite understand why he had just let Lindsey take over his house. "It's _your_ house, not hers. You own it. So you should have the right to throw her out."

"What do I need another house for when I am living in this one?" Lucas asked her. Brooke knew that he had a point. "Because I already have a vacation house. I don't really need another one. If Lindsey wants it, she can have it."

"Then let her rent the house," Brooke suggested. "I know that we don't need the money, but it isn't fair for her to live in the house when it's yours. That's all I'm saying." The conversation was then over as they started going through the books.

Lucas shook his head in amazement as he looked through the books. "Wow, I had forgotten how much your mom and Andy traveled after they got married. There are books on Italy, England and France."

"Well, Andy was from New Zealand," Brooke reminded him. "So he wanted to show her the world since they were already in Europe."

Lucas gave her a smile. "I remember you being so jealous until your mom and Andy gave you your high school graduation gift: a trip to Europe with our friends without any chaperones."

Brooke smiled at the memories of that awesome trip. She then grew quiet for a moment. "That was our last trip together with the gang, wasn't it?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, we broke up soon after that. And I stayed behind when Naley and Jeyton made Spring Break trips up to Boston to visit you." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "But now that you're back for good, we can start hanging out with our friends again while the kids have play dates."

"It's weird to think that Jeyton and Naley are parents already," Brooke said in amazement. "Don't get me wrong. I love Jenny and Megan, but I didn't expect our friends to have babies right away."

Lucas gave her a look. "Of course you didn't. You thought that they would be just like you and wait to have kids." Brooke didn't have a chance to respond as Lucas continued. "I know you, Brooke. You want kids, but you want to wait a couple of years down the road before starting a family."

Brooke sighed. "Well, those plans have changed now," she said. She then changed the subject. "Speaking of the plan, I just realized that we're going to have to figure out a new schedule once I get my business up and running here."

Lucas frowned. "What about Carrie?"

"I think that I'm going to fire Carrie," Brooke replied. "I don't trust her with the twins. She seems a little off to me."

"Are you sure you still aren't mad at her for making that rude comment about the twins?" Lucas asked her.

"No," Brooke assured him. "I'm telling you that there is something off about her. And I'm going to fire her once she gets back from her trip. I still can't believe that she arranged this trip without even telling me. What kind of employee doesn't tell their boss that they were leaving for a trip?" Lucas just smiled at her. Brooke gave him a confused look. "What?"

"I love how you are protective of the twins," Lucas replied. "I hate to admit it, but it turns me on."

Brooke gave him a look. "You know that we can't do that anymore."

"What _are_ the rules then? You do realize that we're supposed to marry soon, right? So what do you propose we do for our honeymoon? Just sit on the beach and relax? Or what about when we get back here? Are we going to sleep in the same bedroom? Are we even going to have an intimate relationship?"

Brooke stopped him right there. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it. And I really don't think that it would be right to have sex with toddlers in the house." Lucas was about to answer her when she didn't let him. "I know Naley does it but they are married and in love. We're just going to be married. Besides, I thought that you broke up with Lindsey because all you two did was have sex."

Lucas didn't want to admit it, but he knew that it was true. "Well, this is different. We're raising your sisters and doing fun activities together, just like we used to. I never did that with Lindsey. She was never interested in going to the movies. She would go out for dinner and dessert, but that's it."

"How in the world did you stick by her for so long?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas laughed. "I have no idea." He then changed the topic. "You are still looking for a place to move your business to, right?" he asked her. Brooke nodded. "Good because I have an idea where to move it to."

Brooke was immediately interested. "Really? Where?"

Lucas just gave her a wide smile. "It's a surprise that I'm not ready to reveal yet. You'll just have to wait a little longer to see the place."

Brooke returned the smile. "I can't wait." She then turned her attention back to the books. "Do you want any of them?"

Lucas glanced through the shelves of books. "I don't know yet. There are so many that I would love to keep. But if I ever get my books back from my house, then I think that we're going to have copies of the classics. So I think it's best to give them away. You should see if our friends want any of them."

Brooke tried not to laugh. "I don't know. Their book collections are just as big as this," she pointed out. "Don't you remember how much our moms, Deb and Lydia used to borrow books from each other and eventually started a book club?"

"They still meet every week and talk about a book," Lucas replied. "Maybe you, Haley and Peyton could start one."

Brooke shrugged. "I don't think so. It doesn't sound like my kind of thing to do."

"It was just a suggestion," Lucas replied before they went back to the books.

The next morning, Brooke came downstairs and was surprised to find that Lucas was already eating breakfast with the twins. She greeted her sisters before she turned to Lucas. "I want to get over to the house as soon as possible and talk to Lindsey," he told her.

"I wish you luck because I have a feeling that she won't take it well," Brooke replied. "And I don't think Carrie will take my news well either. She is finally coming back today. And I asked her to stop by so I can talk to her."

"You really want to do this the day that she comes back?" Lucas asked. "Shouldn't we wait until after she recovers from her plane trip?" Brooke looked at him surprised. "We're in this together, aren't we?"

Brooke gave him a smile. "Yes we are. And you're right. We should wait until after she recovers. So I'll cancel that for today and tell her to come in tomorrow morning."

Lucas smiled in return. "Great because my surprise is ready for you to see," he replied. "We'll drop the twins off at the daycare and then we'll go and see my surprise." He then let out a sigh. "But I have to talk to Lindsey first."

"Can't that wait until after my surprise?" Brooke asked him. She didn't let him refuse. "Come on. It's only fair if you put off telling Lindsey your news." Lucas knew that she had a point. He finally agreed. Brooke gave him a wide smile. "Thanks, Lucas. I'll go and get ready."

Lucas just watched her as she dashed from the room. He then turned to Cassidy and Charlotte. "Do you think that your sister will love her surprise?" he asked them. The twins could only smile and gurgle in return. Lucas just laughed. "I think so too."


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Lucas parked the car and helped a blindfolded Brooke out of the vehicle. He was so excited that he could hardly keep it together. He led her over to the front of the building before he took the blindfold off. She recognized the place immediately. She turned to him, surprised and confused.

"This is Tric," she said slowly. Tric was the club where Lucas, Brooke and their friends had hung out at during their high school years. But it was later bought by a new owner and had been changed into another business. However, that business had failed and the building was then closed down. "You bought the club for me?"

"Well, it has been closed down for awhile now. So I thought you could put it to good use," Lucas told her as he gently pulled her to the stairs. They hurried up the steps and through the door. "What better place to have a party than right here?" he asked her before he gestured her to the second floor. "And you could have your office up there."

Brooke couldn't speak for a few moments. "Lucas, I don't know what to say."

Lucas gave her a wide smile. "You don't have to say anything. I'm happy to do this for you," he replied. "You can start moving as soon as my parents and the others bring your stuff back to Tree Hill." Brooke was quiet for a few moments. Lucas turned to her and saw the thoughtful look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"This place brings back so many memories," Brooke replied. "It's weird to think that it won't be the club anymore. It will be where my business will be."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know how you feel. But maybe it's time to make new memories here."

Brooke knew that he had a point. She then let out a sigh. "I just hope that I will have employees here. I know that most of them aren't willing to move to Tree Hill. And I understand why they wouldn't. After all, their whole lives are in Boston. The only person who might be willing to move over here is my assistant, Millie. But she also has a boyfriend. So I don't know what I'm going to do yet."

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let's just focus on getting your stuff to Tree Hill and we'll go from there." Brooke finally agreed. "So what do you want to do now? After all, Charlotte and Cassidy are in daycare."

Brooke sighed. "If you don't mind, I want to get back to working on clearing out the house to make room for my stuff."

Lucas thought for a moment. "You know, I just realized that I need to move my stuff to the house too. But there's no way that we can have everything in the house. It is a big house, but we don't need all that furniture. If I get my house back, I don't mind giving away my furniture or my books."

Brooke raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You want to give away your books? Who are you and what have you done with Lucas Scott?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," a familiar voice snapped. The two turned to see Lindsey glaring at them. "Because the Lucas Scott I know wouldn't just dump his girlfriend to take off and marry another woman."

Lucas and Brooke were shocked to hear that coming from her. "How the hell did you find out? We haven't even announced it in the paper yet," Brooke replied.

Lindsey gave her a look. "It's a small town. You figure it out." She didn't let them answer as she approached them. She turned to Lucas. "Is this the real reason why you dumped me? You wanted to leave me to marry your ex-girlfriend? You must really love those brats to do this."

Lucas glared at her. He was tired of her attitude. "Don't you dare talk that way about Brooke or her sisters!" he exclaimed angrily. "I don't know how the hell I fell in love with you! I want you and your crap out of _my _house by tomorrow!" He didn't want to deal with her any longer. He would rent the house to someone else.

Lindsey could tell that Lucas was serious. "You're making a big mistake, Luke," she told him. "If you want to ruin your life by marrying Brooke, go ahead and do it. But when you come to your senses, give me a call." She then turned around and marched out of the club.

Brooke finally managed to find her voice. "I don't think that I will ever figure why she hates me." She then noticed the thoughtful look on Lucas's face. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"When Lindsey and I had our argument, it was clear that she didn't want to see me again. Now she is saying that she would want to give us another chance if we break up," Lucas told Brooke. "I wonder what made her change her mind."

"Does it really matter? You wouldn't go back to her anyway, would you?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas didn't even have to think before he answered. "No, I wouldn't." He then decided to let the conversation go. He gave her a smile. "Now where were we?" he asked her before he pretended to think for a moment. "That's right. You thought that I was crazy for giving away my books. As I told you before, we don't need duplicates of the books. So we might as well sell them. And we can make room for more books for Cassidy and Charlotte. I'm surprised that your mom didn't buy more books for them."

Brooke was quiet for a moment. "She loved telling the story too much."

Lucas then knew that he had hurt her feelings. He immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Brooke. I wasn't thinking."

Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "It's ok. And you're right. They should know the fun of reading books." She then let out a sigh. "I just wish I knew where we are going to put all of our stuff."

Lucas didn't answer for a moment before he spoke. "Well, you could sell your stuff so we don't have to switch our furniture," he suggested. "And we could put the important things of your mom's and Andy's into storage."

"The only problem is that your parents are already on the way with my stuff," Brooke reminded him.

Lucas was quiet again. "Actually, they aren't." Brooke looked at him confused. "They thought it was ridiculous to bring your furniture out here when we have furniture already. Besides, nobody knew how to split the furniture up between you and Julian. So they are bringing just your belongings."

Brooke raised her eyebrows. "And when were you planning on telling me this?" she demanded. Lucas wasn't given a chance to answer. "Don't you think that I should have made that decision? After all, it is _my _stuff, not yours."

Lucas tried to calm her down. "I know. I'm sorry. It was a last minute decision. We never meant to leave you in the dark. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I got sidetracked."

Brooke could tell that he meant it. "Now that we're going to get married, we're going to have to act like it. We can't keep secrets from each other. And if we do have an argument, we should try and work it out."

Lucas made a face. "I don't know. We messed up with that last time."

Brooke tried not to laugh. She knew that he was referring to the time that they had done that baby project. "Well, we were in high school then. We weren't ready for children. And we were so busy with our activities that we kept arguing whose turn it was to take care of the baby." Lucas knew that she had a point. "But we're older and wiser now. And we're going to figure out the perfect schedule for all of us to follow. That way, there are no mix-ups."

Lucas gave her a smile. "You are a genius."

Brooke gave him her trademark smile. "I know."

Later that day, Brooke picked up the twins from daycare before she headed back to the house. Once she arrived, she saw that there were a couple of cars parked in the driveway. She immediately recognized who the cars belonged to. She parked the car in front of the house before getting out of the vehicle.

She greeted her friends as she managed to get Cassidy out of her car seat. Karen went to help Charlotte. "Hey, you're early. We weren't expecting you guys back for a few more days," Brooke told her.

"We figured that we were gone long enough," Karen replied as she pulled Charlotte out and placed her on her hip. There was a short pause before she spoke again. "I assume Lucas told you about how we packed your belongings."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, he did. I wasn't happy about it at first, but I then realized that it was for the best."

Karen gave her a smile. "Well, your belongings aren't the only things that we brought back." Brooke looked at her curious. "Why don't you check it out in the kitchen?" she asked. Brooke started to get nervous. However, Karen just gave her a comforting smile. She somehow knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry. We didn't bring you a pet. Just go check it out."

Brooke walked into the house, still carrying Cassidy. Karen and Charlotte were right behind her. She went through the hallway and carefully stepped into the kitchen. Her fears instantly disappeared when she saw her personal assistant Millie standing there. She embraced her in a gentle hug before introducing Cassidy and Charlotte.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked her.

Millie gave her a wide smile. "Well, Marvin and I were talking. And we have decided that it was time to move out of the noisy city and move into a quiet little town."

Brooke smiled in return. "You are the best personal assistant ever, Millie. It really means a lot to me that you are willing to move here." She started to catch up with her friend as she put Cassidy in her high chair. Karen did the same with Charlotte.

Karen then let the two friends talk as she returned back outside where her family was still unloading boxes. She walked over to her husband. "Honey, I know that we just got back, but I have to use the car to run an errand. I'll be right back."

Keith nodded in acknowledgement. They shared a kiss before she headed to the car. Lucas then cleared his throat before speaking. "So did you talk to Julian while you were there?" he asked hesitantly. His father and brother exchanged looks. Lucas knew that they were hiding something from him. "What's wrong? Did something happen with Julian?"

Nathan sighed before answering. "Don't tell Brooke this, but we saw Julian in the bar, drinking." Nathan was then silent. Lucas waited for more. When he didn't get one, he encouraged him to continue. There was a short pause before Nathan did. "And then he left with a redhead."

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "Why am I not surprised that he would do that?" he muttered to himself.

Keith didn't let him go any further. He didn't want him to jump to conclusions. "Now hold on, Lucas. Just because he left with a woman doesn't mean that he would go and do something that he would regret."

Nathan was doubtful. "I don't know, Uncle Keith," he said. "You didn't see him. He looked pretty depressed when Dad and I first saw him. And he didn't mind the flirting. And he didn't even hesitate when that redhead asked him if he would take her home."

Lucas then knew that it was bad. "I'm going to kill Julian," he exclaimed angrily. "It's ironic how he told me not to hurt Brooke when he's gone and done it himself."

Keith tried to calm his son down. He didn't want the women to overhear their conversation. "Why don't we just keep it among ourselves for now?" he asked them. Nathan nodded in agreement.

Lucas didn't answer at first. "Dad, I can't. I promised Brooke just this morning that we would have no more secrets between each other."

Keith sighed. "I know you want to keep your promise, son. And I respect that. But sometimes, there are some secrets that you shouldn't tell your spouse. Do you really want to tell her, knowing that it would break her heart?"

Lucas knew that he had a point. This news would devastate her. "No, I don't," he admitted. He would keep this a secret for now. But if he ended up running into Julian, he would have no choice but to confront him about his actions. He didn't say another word about it. Instead, he went back to helping his dad and cousin unpack the vehicles.

Meanwhile, Karen had arrived at her destination. She parked the car into an empty space in the parking lot. After she turned off the engine and grabbed her purse, she climbed out of the vehicle and walked across the parking lot to the entrance of the building. She headed straight to the elevator.

Once she arrived at the right floor, she headed down the hall until she reached the right desk. She gave a smile to the personal assistant, Renee. "Hello, I'm Karen Scott. I don't have an appointment, but I need to speak to Mr. Lee right away."

"Why don't you have a seat? And I'll see if he is willing to see you," Renee told her. Karen did what she was told and waited patiently as Renee checked for her. She then called her back up. "You can go right on in."

Karen thanked her before she marched past the desk and into the office. Cooper gave her a smile as she closed the door behind her. "Karen, what can I do for you today?" he asked her as he gestured her to sit in a chair.

However, Karen remained where she was. "I'm here to discuss the will." Cooper remained cool as she spoke again. "Why did you lie to Brooke and Lucas about it?" she demanded.

Cooper shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Karen glared at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You know that Brooke and Lucas don't have to marry each other in order to gain custody of the twins." Cooper was surprised that she knew his secret. "Why did you say that they did?"

"What makes you think that they don't?" Cooper asked her, avoiding her question.

Karen gave him a look. "Because Victoria and I had that conversation shortly after she and Brooke moved to Tree Hill. She didn't want to force Brooke into a marriage that she didn't want to be in like she had. She wanted Brooke to marry for love. So why are you forcing Brooke and Lucas to marry?"

Cooper sighed as he leaned back into his chair. "Because Victoria asked me to," he confessed. "In case something happened to her and they weren't already married, she wanted me to force them into marriage. She was afraid that they wouldn't get together otherwise. I'm sorry that I didn't tell anybody else, but I wanted to respect her wishes."

"What happens if the plan fails?" Karen asked. "I want to have faith, but they tried dating once already."

Cooper knew that she had a point. "Are you going to tell on me?"

Karen sighed. She was quiet for a moment before she answered. "No, I guess we can keep this between us for now. But if this ever gets out, you're going to have to explain it to them."

Cooper nodded in agreement. "We have a deal," he promised.

The next morning, Brooke and Lucas ate breakfast and fed the twins before they put them in their playpen. They then waited anxiously for Carrie to arrive so that they could discuss her job. Brooke was relieved that Lucas was willing to stay with her while she did. She didn't know if she could handle doing it alone.

Brooke paced back and forth across the floor. Lucas just watched her in amusement. "Brooke, you're going to put a hole in the floor. Don't be so nervous. Everything will be fine."

Brooke couldn't stay calm. "What if she doesn't react to the news well?" she asked. A million questions started swirling through her head. She couldn't get them out fast enough. "What if I'm right about her? What if I upset her so much that she kidnaps Cassidy or Charlotte for revenge?" she asked horrified. That was her worst fear.

Brooke started to go on when Lucas stopped her. He pulled her into a comforting hug. "I won't let anything happen to you or the twins," he promised. Brooke just nodded as they heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it," he told her as he walked over to the front door. He pulled it open and gave a smile to Carrie. "Good morning. Why don't you come in?"

Carrie smiled in return as she walked in. "Thank you, Lucas." She and Brooke greeted each other as she sat down on the couch. Lucas offered her food and drink. Carrie shook her head. "No, I'm fine." Lucas then sat down next to Brooke as she spoke again. "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

Lucas and Brooke exchanged looks before they turned back to Carrie. Brooke took a deep breath before she spoke. "We need to talk about your vacation. It was very rude of you to take off without telling me."

Carrie frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was supposed to," she replied. "After all, I don't work for you. So you can't give me orders."

Brooke glared at her. "Actually, I can since this is now my house and the twins are in my care." She didn't let her say another word. "And since you've been on vacation, I've been learning more about my sisters."

Carrie glared back at her. "That doesn't mean that you don't know anything about raising them," she snapped.

Lucas couldn't help but step in. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he demanded. "You may be a nanny, but you certainly don't act like one! You've been nothing but rude and disrespectful to Brooke since she arrived here! We don't need you or your so-called advice on how to raise children. You're fired, Carrie," he exclaimed.

Carrie looked at him shocked. "You can't do that to me."

Lucas was about to speak up, but Brooke beat him to it. "Maybe you didn't hear him. You're _fired_," she told her firmly. Carrie could see that she was serious. "Get out of my house now before I call the police." Carrie glared at her, but she did what she was told. Brooke then turned back to Lucas, who was still steaming. "Luke, are you ok?" she asked him concerned.

Lucas just shook his head in disbelief. "I'm tired of people giving you grief." He wanted to mention his secret about Julian, but he decided against it. "You don't deserve to be treated like that."

Brooke smiled widely at his kind words. "Well, I'm glad that you are here to help protect me and my sisters. You're a great friend."

Lucas smiled proudly in return. "Thanks, Brooke. So are you."


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Brooke was dressing Cassidy in her outfit for the day when she made a face. She then knew that someone had a stinky diaper. And Brooke knew it was Charlotte since she had already changed Cassidy. She finished up with Cassidy before she put Charlotte on the changing table. Cassidy immediately started fussing. Brooke tried to calm her down while she changed Charlotte, but it wasn't working.

"Why don't I do that?" Lucas offered as he came into the room. Brooke gave him a grateful smile as she moved out of the way. She loved when he was helpful. "I'll even put her into her outfit. And I promise that I won't have her wear the same outfit that her twin sister is wearing."

Brooke picked up Cassidy and held her against her hip. "You know me well." She then left the nursery and went down to the kitchen. She put Cassidy in her high chair before setting her up with her breakfast. She then did the same with Charlotte as Lucas carried her into the kitchen.

Lucas then started to make breakfast for the two of them. "So what are you going to do while I work on getting the club ready for your new business?" he asked her.

Brooke shrugged. "I think that I will help Mouth and Millie unpack their things in their rental house," she said. "It was so nice of you to offer them your house. I know that they will take good care of it."

Lucas gave her a smile. "I'm sure they will." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "You know, I've been thinking about our little arrangement. And I know that we are supposed to get married, but I would rather wait until after the holidays. We're going to be so busy otherwise. You don't mind, do you?"

Brooke started giggling and Lucas looked at her curiously. Brooke tried to stop giggling enough to get her words out. "Well, we're going to have to since we never set a wedding date. I can't believe that I've been planning our wedding when we don't even have a date." Lucas laughed with her. They then calmed down as Brooke spoke again. "It's probably best. If we want an outdoor wedding, we should have perfect weather."

"Hopefully, Cooper won't mind that we aren't going to get married right away," Lucas said as he brought their breakfast over. "Of course, he didn't say how long we should wait before we get married. So it works out that we're going to wait." He then noticed that Brooke had a thoughtful look on her face. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

Brooke shook her head, not wanting to talk about it in front of him. She just changed the subject, trying to distract him from talking about it any longer. She didn't want to hurt Lucas's feelings by telling them that she still wished that she wasn't being forced into marriage. She accepted the fact that she had to marry Lucas in order to have guardianship of Cassidy and Charlotte. She just hated that she was being pushed in it.

A couple of hours later, Brooke was helping Mouth and Millie with unpacking their boxes. The twins were with Karen, who had graciously offered to watch them. However, they were due for a break. So they stopped what they were doing and headed into the kitchen for a drink. "So how do you like Tree Hill?" Brooke asked Millie as she prepared their drinks.

"We have been so busy that we haven't had a chance to really see the town," Mouth told her.

Brooke looked at him surprised. "Really? Why didn't you say so? I'll be your tour guide. Just say the word and I'll show you around. Who knows this town better than me?" she asked.

"Why don't we go right now then?" Mouth suggested. "After all, we're on a break."

Millie and Brooke nodded in agreement. They soon were driving around town. Brooke showed them few special places that she loved including her former high school, the River Court and the old club where her business was going to be. They quickly peeked in on Lucas and the other guys before Brooke drove them to the café.

Haley gave them a welcoming smile as they walked into the room. They were able to take some stools at the counter. Haley walked over to them with the coffee pot in her hands. "What can I get you two?" she asked Mouth and Millie.

Mouth gave her a smile. "Well, Brooke has been bragging about Karen's food. So we thought that we could try it," he told her. They then gave her their orders and Haley poured them some coffee while they waited for their food.

Brooke then excused herself to use the restroom. Haley waited until she left before speaking. "My friends and I can't thank you enough for being here for Brooke. It really means a lot to her that she has friends that she can depend on from Boston."

"I really should be thanking you," Millie told her. Haley looked at her confused. She didn't know why Millie would be thanking her. "I haven't seen Brooke this happy in a long time. I think she really was more homesick than she realized." Haley nodded in agreement. Millie then asked, "So you don't hate us for taking away your club?"

Haley laughed. "No, that place hasn't been the club for awhile now. Besides, the alumni really don't have time to hang out much anymore. After all, we all have kids now. So it's no big deal. Who knows? Maybe one day, it will be the club again. But I'm fine with it being the location where Brooke's business is."

Millie nodded understandingly as Brooke came back over to them. She gave Haley a smile. "So may I get my breakfast?" she asked. Haley laughed before she went to make Brooke's usual order.

After a long day, Brooke drove back to the house to spend the rest of the evening relaxing. She had called Karen earlier to ask her what time she should pick the girls up. However, Karen had told her that there was no need to pick them up. She and Keith would take care of them for the night. Brooke thanked her and accepted her offer.

Once Brooke arrived home, she saw that Lucas had returned before her. She unlocked the door and walked into the foyer. She then smiled to herself as she saw Lucas sleeping soundly on the couch. She slowly closed the door as Lucas stirred from his sleep. He blinked as he wondered where he was. He then remembered as he noticed Brooke standing over him. "How long have you been home?" he asked.

"I just got home," Brooke replied as she pulled off her coat and put it on the coat rack. "I would have brought the twins home, but your parents insisted on keeping them tonight. I'm not surprised though. I'm sure they're love playing grandparents for the night." Lucas nodded in agreement as she joined him on the couch. "How was your day?" she asked as she cuddled up next to him.

Lucas let out a heavy sigh. "Fixing up the club is harder than it looks. I knew that there would be dust and cobwebs. But I didn't realize that there would be cockroaches in there." Brooke looked at him concerned. Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. The bug man came and sprayed today. And then Dad and I cleaned up the dead bugs."

"Did you find anything else wrong?" Brooke asked worried. "Because I really don't want to put the business there if the building isn't up to code. That would just ruin my business."

"I know, but I won't let that happen," Lucas promised. "I will make sure that the place is absolutely perfect before you move all of your stuff there, ok?" Brooke didn't respond. "Are you nervous about moving your business here?"

Brooke sighed. "Yeah, I am," she admitted. "I know everyone here knows me, but they haven't seen me in action. I'm afraid I'm going to mess up and ruin my first client's wedding. I haven't been doing this for very long, you know."

Lucas knew that was true. "No, but you have been doing a great job of it so far." Brooke smiled at the compliment. "And you have Millie to help you. I can see why you two are friends. I'm sure she and Mouth will fit right in with the gang." Brooke nodded in agreement. Lucas then let out a yawn. "I don't know about you, but I am exhausted. I'm going to bed. Are you coming along?" he asked her. There was silence. He then noticed that Brooke had fallen asleep in his arms. He just smiled to himself before he closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Brooke had breakfast before she went to pick up the twins. "I hope they weren't too much trouble," she said as Karen helped her get the twins settled in their car seats.

Karen gave her a comforting smile. "Nonsense, Brooke. Keith and I love having them around. And the best part is that we didn't have to fight over them. We each had one baby to take care of."

Brooke laughed. "Yeah, that is nice." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Do you think that you and Keith could watch them again on Friday night? I'm planning to go out with Haley, Peyton and possibly Millie that night. And I thought I could give Lucas the night off."

Karen gave her a look. "You don't trust Lucas with the twins alone yet, do you?" she asked. Brooke didn't have a chance to respond. "It's ok. I understand. Your mother was the same way with leaving you alone with us for the first time."

Brooke wasn't surprised. Her mother always did want to make sure that she was with people who she could trust. However, she couldn't remember that first time that her mother left her with the Scotts. "How did you convince her to let me stay with you two?" she asked curiously.

"We didn't," Karen replied. Brooke looked at her confused. "Lucas did. He told your mom that there was nothing to worry about and that you would be safe with him. And Victoria has never worried about leaving you with us since." Brooke tried not to smile as Karen spoke again. "You two will have to learn to trust each other again."

Brooke sighed. "I do trust him, but it's not enough to leave him with the twins alone in the house."

A few days later, the former club was finally ready for business. Brooke and Millie were soon settled in their new offices and waited for the calls to start. While they waited for that moment, Brooke and Lucas worked together to figure out who would be best to take care of the twins during the day. It didn't take them long to decide on the daycare. It was only going to be temporarily until they found a more suitable nanny than Carrie.

"Daycare isn't that bad," Peyton told Brooke as she drove through the streets of Tree Hill. She, Brooke and Haley were taking Millie out to dinner to welcome her into the gang. Mille had been surprised, but pleased to get the invitation. "Jenny goes there all the time and she loves it."

"So do Charlotte and Cassidy," Brooke replied. "I don't want to hurt Deb's feelings, but I want to make sure that they are given attention. The daycare has so many kids that it's hard to keep track all of them."

Peyton knew that she had a point. "Well, I wish you luck in your search. I know it's not easy trying to find the right person to watch your child."

Haley nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it took me and Nathan forever to decide whether we wanted Megan to be watched by a baby-sitter or a nanny or put her in daycare. I wish I could stay with my baby all the time, but I have a job to do."

"Well, maybe you could do it with your next child," Peyton suggested as she looked in the rearview mirror. Haley was about to protest when Peyton continued. "I'm not saying that you should get it on with Nathan when you go home. I'm just saying that you might want to be a stay-at-home mom by the time you and Nathan are pregnant again."

"That's not going to be for awhile," Haley replied. "Nathan and I have discussed the subject. And we have decided to wait another year or two before we add to our family. After all, Megan just turned one a few months ago."

"Wouldn't it be fun if we could get pregnant at the same time again?" Peyton asked. "Of course, we would have to wait for Brooke and Millie."

"Lucas and I haven't even discussed that topic yet," Brooke replied. "And I don't think we will talk about that for awhile."

Millie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Marvin and I have just got engaged. We're not even close to having kids yet." Her three new friends turned to her with surprised expressions on their faces. Millie then clasped her hand over her mouth, realizing that she had just revealed her secret.

Brooke couldn't believe the news. "You're engaged?" she squealed. "When did this happen?"

"It happened during your whole ordeal with your mom and stepfather," Millie replied. She gave her an apologetic look. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't want to upset you more since you couldn't marry Julian."

Brooke gave her a wide smile. "Thanks for considering my feelings, but I'm really happy for you and Mouth." Millie could tell that she was being honest. "Now show me your ring," she told her.

Millie laughed. "Well, that's another reason I didn't want to tell you yet. I don't have a ring yet. We're saving up for one."

"Well, your engagement is one more reason to celebrate," Peyton replied as she parked the car. She then turned to her passengers. "Does anybody need to check on their child before we go in?" she asked. She heard murmurs from Brooke and Haley as they climbed out of the vehicle. Millie was right behind them.

They walked into the restaurant and a few minutes later, they were shown to their private table. The girls thanked their host as they sat down in their seats. They then started glancing through the menu. Brooke turned to Millie. "Don't forget that you can order anything off the menu. This is our treat."

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, I guess it has become a tradition now. They did the same thing when I joined their little circle. If I remember correctly, we didn't do it for Lindsey. Of course, we never thought that she belonged in our group."

"She still doesn't," Brooke replied. "I'm surprised that she willingly moved out of Lucas's house. But I guess she didn't want to get her ass arrested for being on private property." Their waiter then came and took their drink orders before Brooke continued what she was saying. "I would be happy if I don't ever see her again."

Peyton nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she didn't seem to fit in with any of us. She was only around for Lucas."

"Can we not talk about it anymore?" Brooke asked her friends. She knew that they were neglecting their guest of honor. "Tonight is all about Millie." Millie smiled proudly as their drinks came. After a little bit of discussion, they took turns telling the waiter what she wanted. After he left, they each grabbed their glass and raised it. "To Millie, our new friend," Brooke said proudly.

"To Millie," her friends chorused as they clunked them together. They then took a few sips of their drinks before they started a whole new conversation. Brooke could tell that Millie was nervous at first. However, she soon loosened up and joined in the conversation.

After a delicious dinner, they stayed on for dessert. They then were ready to go and decided to take their leftovers for their husbands and fiancés. Peyton dropped Millie off first. Millie gave them a wide smile. "Thank you for inviting me. I really had fun. We should do it again sometime." Her new friends nodded in agreement. She then turned to Brooke. "Do you mind if I am your first client? I would really love it if my best friend helped me with my wedding."

Brooke smiled in return. "I'd love to." They quickly made arrangements to start discussing the wedding plans the next morning. They then said good-bye before Millie headed towards her house. Peyton made sure that she got in the house before she started the car and drove away from the house.

Brooke didn't even listen to the conversation as they drove to the next drop off location. Since Millie had mentioned her engagement, it brought Brooke back to her own wedding and the plans to marry Lucas. She was glad that they were waiting awhile for the wedding. She didn't think that it was fair for them to get married just because they had to raise the twins together.

The puzzle pieces didn't fit. Her mother had been forced to marry Richard just because she was pregnant. She had tried to make the marriage work for Brooke's sake. But she couldn't stay in a loveless marriage. Brooke knew that her mother didn't want that for her. She had stated several times to her and their friends that she wouldn't force her into marriage with a person who she didn't love. So she didn't know why her mother was so adamant about her and Lucas. She was dying to know the answers.

"Is everything ok, Brooke?" Peyton asked her, noticing the faraway look in her friend's eyes. "You've been quiet since we dropped off Millie."

Brooke nodded as she snapped out of her daydream. "Yeah, I was just thinking that I need to clean out the attic tomorrow." She knew that her mother had kept a diary and written in it daily during their early years in Tree Hill. She figured that she would be able to find it in the attic somewhere. Where else would it be? She knew that her question would be answered soon enough.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: **Thank you all for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Brooke switched the attic light on and gasped in surprise. She couldn't believe how much the attic was overflowing with boxes. She was relieved when she saw that her mother had organized and labeled the boxes. She knew that it would be easier to find the diaries now. She started looking through boxes as she heard Lucas's voice. "Brooke, where are you?" he called.

"I'm up in the attic," Brooke called back. She already had the perfect excuse why she was there. She waited until she heard him come up the attic steps before continuing her answer. "I was looking to see how many Christmas decorations my mom still had."

She wasn't surprised to find that there were many boxes labeled 'Christmas decorations'. Her mother had always gone all out for Christmas because she wanted to make sure that Brooke always had a wonderful Christmas.

She then noticed that Lucas wasn't alone. He was carrying Charlotte. Lucas happily handed her over to Brooke. "Why is it that she likes me, but Cassidy doesn't?" Lucas asked Brooke as he picked up a couple of boxes.

Brooke gave him a smile. "Are you going to be upset every time a girl turns you down?" she teased him. Lucas just ignored her as he headed down the stairs. She made sure he was gone before she started glancing at the other boxes. From what she could see, none of the boxes had what she wanted. She was disappointed, but she did her best not to show it as she heard Lucas come back up.

"Do you want me to bring all of these boxes down?" Lucas asked as he gestured to the many holiday boxes next to her.

"No," Brooke quickly replied. She then calmed down. "Why don't you find the Christmas lights and work on those first?" she suggested. She knew that would buy her more time. "I want to see what else is up here."

"We could just wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the Christmas decorations," Lucas said. "I know that you want to continue your yearly tradition of decorating the house early for the holidays, but its way too early for that."

"Well, I thought we could sort out the decorations and see which ones I want to keep and which ones to give away," Brooke replied. "I'm sure your mom or aunt would love some more. Maybe I could even give some to Millie."

Lucas agreed. "I think she would like that." He then looked at the boxes before turning back to Brooke. "So do you still want me to bring the rest of the boxes down?"

Brooke laughed. "No, I want you to take Charlotte back downstairs," she replied as Charlotte started to squirm out of her sister's arms. Brooke knew that was the sign to put her down. She knew that it was ok to. Her mother had always made sure that the attic was cleaned twice a month. Brooke put her sister down and Charlotte started to crawl around and explore. Brooke sighed. "Charlotte, you should really try to walk. That way, you can catch up with your sister." Cassidy had started walking a few months ago.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe that Cassidy started walking before her sister did. They're identical twins. They're supposed to do everything the same."

Brooke gave him a look. "Relax, Lucas. All babies go through the milestones at different ages. Charlotte just happens to be a little slower at reaching them than her sister. That's all. Can you imagine when Charlotte and Cassidy both start walking? We'll really have to baby proof the house."

"That's not the fear I have," Lucas replied. He then pulled a face as he added, "I hate to think about when they have to go through potty training."

Brooke didn't have a chance to respond as she lost vision of Charlotte. She frowned as she searched through the boxes. Lucas helped her as they looked around for her. She then saw Charlotte in a corner and let out a sigh of relief. "Charlotte, you are going downstairs where you won't get lost," Brooke told her as she picked her up. She then noticed a familiar object that Charlotte was sitting next to. "Lucas, look what I've found," she called. Lucas walked over to her as she showed him her discovery. "It's my old dollhouse. I can't believe my mom kept this thing all these years."

Lucas examined it closely. "It looks like it's still in pretty good shape too." He gently picked it up and carried it down the stairs. Brooke was right behind him with Charlotte. She put her down in the playpen before following Lucas to the lounge. He set it down on the coffee table as they looked the house over again. "I'm surprised that your mom didn't give this to you when you moved to Boston."

"I don't know," Brooke replied. "I guess she was thinking I wouldn't want it anymore and was saving it for Charlotte and Cassidy." She then thought for a moment. "Then again, she probably would have bought two new dollhouses for them. She never did like the idea of hand me downs."

"I'm guessing you don't want to sell this," Lucas said. Brooke shook her head. "So where do you want to put this? Do you want it back in your room?" he asked her. Brooke then froze as she now knew where her mother's diaries were. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before. She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Lucas saying her name. "Brooke, are you feeling ok?"

Brooke nodded as she gave him a comforting smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just realized that we're about out of milk. Do you think you can go get some?" she asked him. "I would go with you, but someone has to stay and watch the twins. I really don't want to take them out in this weather."

Lucas was quiet before he spoke. "You know, I could always watch the twins while you go out to the store." Brooke didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she wasn't ready for him to watch Charlotte and Cassidy alone. Lucas somehow knew what she was thinking. "You don't want me to watch the twins, do you?" he asked her. He didn't let her respond. "So you would rather have a stranger watch the twins than me?"

"Deb isn't a stranger," Brooke protested.

Lucas gave her a look. "That's not who I meant and you know it. I'm talking about hiring a nanny. Whoever that will be will be a stranger to Cassidy and Charlotte. Yet, you are willing to hire one because you trust that person more than me. Isn't that right?" he demanded. He didn't let Brooke speak. "We're supposed to trust each other, remember? How the hell can we do that if you can't trust me with your sisters?"

Brooke knew that he had a point. She let out a sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just overprotective of them."

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "Well, we can be overprotective of them together," he replied as he embraced her in a tight hug. "And I can get some more milk if you really want me to." For a brief moment, Brooke had forgotten about that. She then nodded. He then gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll go and get some now."

Brooke thanked him before she saw him to the front door. She watched as he backed the car out of the driveway. She made sure that he was down the street before she headed upstairs to the master bedroom. She then paused for a few moments.

It felt a little weird to be going into the bedroom without her mother's permission. She took a deep breath before she opened the door. She stepped into the room, almost thinking that she would get caught. She walked past the queen sized bed and into the walk in closet. Her eyes went to the few boxes that were on the top shelf.

She gently pulled the first box off on the shelf and onto the bed. She opened the box and saw her mother's yearbooks. She pulled them out and started looking through them. She was surprised that she kept them after what she had gone through after she had found out she was pregnant with her. Nobody had really supported her mother until she came to Tree Hill. After hearing stories about her mother's childhood and high school years, she didn't blame her mother for moving away and starting over in another town.

Brooke placed the yearbooks back inside the box before she grabbed the second box. She was pleased to see that she found what she was looking for; her mother's diaries. At first, she felt a little guilty to open it up. After all, this was her mother's personal and private diary. Then again, it was her property now. She opened up to the first page and saw that her mother had written in the diaries for her.

_ My darling daughter,_

_I am writing this diary for you. I know that a diary is supposed to be my thoughts and feelings about certain subjects, but I would rather write it all down for you. You are so young and innocent. Your life has just begun. So I want to pass my wisdom onto you. Yes, your mother has wisdom already. How could I not with my bad marriage?_

_But I don't want to talk about that now. Instead, I want to talk about our first few weeks here. I already love this adorable town. It's so different compared to the city. The people here have been so kind and wonderful to us. I was offered a job at Karen's Café. I also found a daycare that is owned and managed by her sister-in-law Deb, who is willing to watch you during the day. _

_I'm glad we worked out with an arrangement about paying her. I don't know what I would have done if I wasn't able to support you. I want the very best for you. It may take awhile, but I'm determined to make your life as enjoyable as possible. That is a promise._

_As I watch you play with your new friends, I can't help but think about how much better your childhood already is than what mine was. Of course, all parents say that. But yours really is. And it is all because of your new friends. _

_You have friends who like you for who you are, not how much money you have. They care about you. They comfort you when you get hurt. They protect you when you are in trouble. I can see that in Lucas already. He certainly looks after you like a big brother. I can just imagine you and him becoming more than friends one day._

_I know what you are thinking. What do I know about love? After all, I was forced into a loveless marriage just because I found out that I was pregnant with you. Well, I thought that I would come to love your father in time. But that didn't work out and I'm now divorced from your father. Ok, I may have failed at that one. But that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to try again. After one failed relationship, you shouldn't give up either. I don't say this often, but I do believe it. "People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end." So even if you and Lucas don't get together right away, you shouldn't give up on your relationship._

_I don't want to push you two into a relationship. I would never do that to my own daughter. I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. I don't care if you get pregnant in high school. Ok, I do care, but I won't force you and your boyfriend into marriage. I want you to marry for love, no matter what. _

_Your loving mother,_

_Victoria_

Brooke was about to read the next entry when she heard a familiar voice. She looked up and was startled when she saw Lucas standing in the open doorway. She turned red as she quickly closed the diary. "Lucas, I thought you were going out to get milk."

"I came back when I realized that I forgot my cell-phone," Lucas replied. He gestured to the boxes on the bed. "So what are you doing in here?" he asked her. "Is that your mom's personal stuff?"

"Yeah, I thought it was time to look through the stuff and see what we should keep and give away," Brooke replied as she put the diary back in the box. She didn't want Lucas to find out what she was up to.

Lucas sighed. "The list does seem everlasting, doesn't it?" he asked her as he walked up to her. He looked in the first box and saw the yearbooks. He smiled to himself as he thought of his own high school years. He then snapped back into reality. "Do you want to keep these too?" he asked. "Or do you want to send them back to your grandparents?"

Brooke tried not to laugh. "They haven't been my grandparents for years. And I doubt that they want my mom's yearbooks. No, we'll keep them for Charlotte and Cassidy. They deserve to know what their mom was like in high school." Brooke shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they will continue the tradition of being a cheerleader or student council president." She then changed the subject. "Why don't you put these back on the shelf? We'll sort through their stuff later. I'm going to check on the twins." Lucas just nodded as she left the room. She wasn't ready to tell him about her discovery just yet.

"Thank you for letting me help you with the café until Lucas and the others are with fixing up the club," Brooke told Karen as she poured them each a cup of tea. Karen had called her the next day and wondered if she was willing to help her until the building was ready for her business. Brooke had eagerly accepted. So Cassidy and Charlotte were at the daycare again while Lucas and Brooke were working. "It feels just like old times."

Karen gave her a smile. "It certainly does. It probably won't be long before all of the grandchildren start working here."

"No offense, but Lucas and I aren't planning on having children for awhile," Brooke replied.

"I can't count Cassidy and Charlotte?" Karen asked. "I know they aren't biologically related to me or Keith, but we consider them our grandchildren." Brooke nodded understandingly. "We love them and are willing to do anything for them. And I know Lucas would too."

Brooke should have known that the conversation was heading in that direction. "Lucas told you about our little argument the other day." She let out a sigh. "I know I should be able to let Lucas watch them, but he hasn't taken care of them as much as I have in the last few months."

"See, that's exactly why I told him that you two would never work out," a familiar voice said as she walked up to the counter. Brooke wasn't thrilled when she saw that it was Lindsey. "May I have two regular coffees to go, please?" she asked Karen.

"I'm guessing you're still mad at me for taking Lucas away from you?" Brooke asked her.

"No, I'm fine with it because I know he will come crawling back to me eventually," Lindsey replied. "And you will be back with your fiancé in Boston."

Brooke couldn't believe her. "You really believe that Lucas will come crawling back to you after the way you acted to his friends and family especially me?"

"I'm sorry. I thought you wanted to go back to your fiancé," Lindsey said. "From what I have heard, this is only supposed to be temporary."

"Why don't you just mind your own business?" Brooke asked her. She was relieved when Karen came over with the cups of coffee. Lindsey thanked her before she headed out of the café. "I'm so glad that Lucas didn't stay with her. She wouldn't have lasted much longer in our gang."

"I'm afraid I would have to agree with you," Karen replied. "That girl is certainly not the right woman for Lucas."

Brooke sighed. "I'm not sure I am either."

Karen turned to her confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Brooke didn't say anything for a moment. "I wanted to know why my mother wants us to marry when she was so adamant about me marrying for love. I know I should let it go and marry Lucas, but I feel that I won't be satisfied until I know the reason."

Karen nodded understandingly. "Well, your mom always believed that you and Lucas were meant to be together. And I'm sure she thought that you two would be married by the time you two were asked to be guardians."

"If she wanted that to happen, then why did she allow me to date Julian?" Brooke asked.

"Because she wanted you to be happy," Karen replied. "She knew that she couldn't force you to stop dating him. After all, you were an adult. You had to make your own decisions. And you decided that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Julian. So she had to let you go and live your own life."

Brooke felt that she had to correct her. "She didn't let me go. I pushed her out of my life. And I still feel guilty for not picking up the phone sooner and apologizing to her."

Karen gave her a sympathetic look. "I know you do, but you can't blame yourself. Victoria knew you still loved her. You just didn't have her support then." Brooke just nodded as Karen spoke again. "I don't blame you for getting angry at her or the situation you're in, but I suggest that you make the most of it. After all, you chose to marry Lucas and take care of the twins. So if you are planning to marry Lucas, I suggest you two learn to trust, communicate and be honest with each other again. Who knows? Maybe this temporary arrangement will become permanent."

Brooke sighed. "I don't know. Lighting hardly ever strikes twice in the same place."


End file.
